Home: Part Three in the Stay Series
by onceuponatime2011
Summary: Last part of the "Stay" trilogy. Set 2 years after the end of "Go". Can't give much a summary or it will ruin the plot. No flames for the pairing.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: Well, I decided on option 'c'. I've been thinking about the plot for a little while, and I'm going with it. Set two years after the end of "Go". I wanted to go ahead and post this so you guys knew that I was continuing the story. My plan is to get "Pas de Deux" roughly written completely out (I'm almost done with it) and then I'll start fully on this one. I just wanted to get you guys excited. I hope y'all love it. :) This one is more dramatic than the other two...and that's about all I'll say for now. ;)**_

* * *

Prologue

Riley Matthews paced back and forth between the door and the wall on the opposite side of the room, her mind a million miles away, her heart just down the hallway. Six months. She has waited six months for this moment. Now that it was here, she didn't know how to react. Nervousness was the dominant emotion, even though it seemed to belittle exactly how she felt. She was anxious, restless. She felt every emotion possible, but at the same time, she felt no emotion. She felt numb in a way. Maybe it was because of the stream of emotions that had shifted throughout her entire body for the last six months. She looked around the room. She was all alone. Potentially, the biggest day in her life, and no one was here. Where was Maya? Where was her dad? Someone should be here with her. She couldn't handle the silence, the waiting. She moved to sit down, her anxiousness starting to get the best of her. The light caught something that sparkled in Riley's eyes. She looked down at the diamond that encircled her left ring finger. Six months. Six months was long enough. It was too long. Suddenly, rapidly, the last six months-no, the last thirteen years—came crashing back to her. Every look, every touch, every kiss, every 'I love you, every moment of everything reached Riley's brain in that moment.

Thirteen years ago, she fell onto the lap of a boy. She didn't know it then, but that boy would change her whole world. One look into those emerald eyes and she was lost and found at the same time. With him, she learned how to become a real friend to someone, to establish a real, deep connection—to see past the surface. They became the best of friends—then a little more than friends. She knew that they were always a little more than friends, but they both were scared. Typically, only catastrophes arise when you meet "the one" so young in life, her parents being the only exception she knew. Even then, her parents knew each other for most of their lives before they decided to take the leap from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend. Riley didn't want to lose the friendship they had built, but she also knew that they couldn't run from their feelings forever. After much soul searching, she decided she was ready; she was willing to take a chance on something that could be the best thing that ever happened to her. They began to date in high school, a sure sign of a doomed relationship, but no, not them, even if they broke up during their senior year of high school.

One moment of doubt in high school almost ended their story before it even really began. He had failed to tell her that he got into a school across the country. Feeling the sting of the first betrayal in their courtship, she ended things with him. Him—the boy who had captured her heart when she was 12 was suddenly the boy who broke her heart at 18. She suddenly doubted everything he had ever told her, showed her. She doubted it all, but he never did. He didn't let go. He told her that he would move on, but he didn't. He waited. He knew they would reconcile. He knew that they were meant to be, statistics be damned. He was right. They slowly became friends again, and Riley realized that she loved him, had always loved him, and couldn't quite function as well in a world without him. Oh, how trivial all of that seemed now.

In their last year of undergraduate education, that doubt, that horrible emotion that had the potential to end everything for no reason, crept its way back up to her. She broke up with him because she thought he had cheated on her with a statuesque blonde. A part of her, however small, still hoped (even after she "caught" them) that somehow, some way, they would be reunited. Of course, there were other factors that led to their temporary demise. The space between them, his hectic schedule, and her own insecurities all played a part in their downfall. Again, he didn't give up. His faith in her, in their relationship, and his own desire to better himself motivated him to not let go. He never lost faith in them. There were moments of hesitancy, moments where he thought that it could be over, but even then, he never gave up. It was one thing that Riley loved about him. When he believed in something, no matter what it was, he never gave up on it.

He had become the other half of her. Though she had proven to herself that she could definitely survive in a world without Lucas Friar, she also found out that she didn't want to. He made her want to be a better person. He always believed in her, had faith in her. Love is supposed to bring out the best in you, and that's what he had done time and time again. They had both gone through so much together and apart from one another. Riley knew that they were better together. Just as he brought out the best in her, he had told her time and time again that she brought out the best in him.

Looking back, those moments prepared her for the more complicated things that life threw at them. Distance, time, trust—all issues that most couples face at one point or another, and they came out of it, relatively unscathed. That hope led them here, to this moment, to this day. She looked down at the ring as it twinkled under the well-lit room. The moment this ring was placed on her finger she knew that she would never doubt him again. He always believed, and now, it was her turn to believe. Six months ago she made that promise. Six months ago she swore that her faith, her hope, her love in him would never waiver. She held her breath as the door opened. When she saw who it was, tears swam in her chocolate eyes.


	2. Chapter One

_**A/N: FF screwed up the formatting in this chapter. Ugh. Anyway...I'm still actively working on Pas, but I wanted to post the first chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it. Hopefully it isn't as clunky as I think it is. Maybe Rucas fluff isn't my thing? Thank you for the support with this fic. It will get better. I promise.**_

* * *

 **Six months earlier...**

 _Sweet disposition_

 _Never too soon_

Riley groaned as her stereo alarm woke her up. _'Five more minutes.'_ That was all she wanted. Just five more minutes in her warm, comfortable bed. It was too early and she was in the middle of the most amazing dream. She was on a beach somewhere, at sunset, and she laid on a blanket which was draped over the sand, the man of her dreams by her side. They watched the waves crash against the shore, both enjoying the silence and the beauty that laid before them. Riley turned to him just as he turned to her, that familiar, mischievous smile played on his lips. She loved that smile. It always reached his beautiful emerald eyes. She leaned into him as their lips met. It felt so familiar, but still just as exciting as the moment she held his face in her hands and kissed him for the first time on the subway. That seemed like another lifetime ago.

Her second alarm began to blare. Why must her alarm always go off when she was right in the middle of her perfect version of heaven? She reached next to her and hit the snooze button. She took a deep breath as she tried to remember the last thing about the dream. Maybe if she drifted off again, they could pick back up where they left off. After a few moments, she started to see that beautiful beach again. She could almost feel the ocean breeze.

 _Oh, reckless abandon_

 _Like no one's watching you_

Just as she was almost with that god of a man in her dreams, a pair of arms snaked around her. For a brief moment, she began to think that her dream was a part of her reality. She kept her eyes closed, but a smile played at her lips as she felt a pair of lips on her neck. She tilted her head up slightly to allow him to kiss more of her exposed neck. As she felt the pillow under her head, Riley realized that her dream wasn't reality. Her reality, she mused, was a perfect dream. "Morning," she sighed happily.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Lucas whispered in her ear before he continued to pepper her neck with light kisses. In the almost two years they had lived together, Lucas found out quickly that his beautiful girlfriend was not a morning person. He tried his best to soften the blow most mornings, but he had to admit that she was an adorable grump.

 _A moment a love_

 _A dream aloud_

 _A kiss a cry_

 _Our rights_

 _Our wrongs_

Riley turned around to face her boyfriend. "Well, hello there handsome," she smiled as she took in his features. Riley and Lucas had been together—for the most part-for almost nine years, but she never got tired of seeing his face first thing in the morning. Though she loved it when she woke up to the smell of him cooking breakfast, this way was by far her favorite way to greet the day. She knew she wasn't a morning person, but he seemed completely amused by it. He had done several things over the last few years to try to get her to wake up with a smile. He even sang to her once. Admittedly not a good singer, the act made Riley wake up with laughter. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him. He always had this way of making her feel like she was the only person in the world. It used to intimidate her, but as they grew up and grew closer to one another, that look meant everything to her. "The perfect way to wake up."

"To The Temper Trap," he asked as he recognized the song playing on her first alarm. When Riley moved to Texas, she decided to stop DJing in order to focus on school. That didn't mean that she gave up on her love of music. She still messed around with mixing some songs. Even though Lucas always enjoyed music, he had to admit that he learned more about it in the last two years of life with Riley than in the 23 years before.

She laughed when she realized how proud he seemed to know who sung the song that was playing. Riley had to admit she was impressed. She didn't play this song much, maybe even just once since they moved in together. The only reason she set her alarm to play it was because she saw the song come up on her shuffle the previous day and thought it would be a good song to try to wake up to in the morning. "Well, them too, but," she turned her body around to face him, "I meant with you."

"You aren't tired of me yet after almost two years of living together?" Two amazing years that Lucas was so thankful for everyday. He could remember the exact moment when Riley told him that she decided to go to graduate school in Texas as opposed to New York, where her whole family and where all of her friends lived. She had a life in New York—a very good one. It would've been so easy for her to stay—to spend another three years apart from one another, but she decided to leave. She made clear to him that he wasn't the reason for it. A&M had a great counseling program whose curriculum and professors interested Riley more than what she saw at NYU. It was the hardest decision she ever had to make, and Lucas knew that. He also swore to himself that he was going to spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. It meant everything to him that she moved to Texas. He wasn't sure how he would've survived the last few years without her support. Coming home to her smile everyday helped him get through everything school threw at him. Her constant support encouraged him to keep going. And now here he was, one year shy of becoming what he had dreamed of for so long: becoming a veterinarian.

She grinned when she noticed that he seemed to be brooding. She knew he wanted her to move to Texas. She just had to be sure that she was doing it for the right reasons. Looking at him in that moment, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that the last two years were the happiest in her life. It was definitely the right decision for all of the right reasons. "Are you kidding? Pretty sure moving to Texas was the best decision I've ever made," she lifted her head up as her lips found his.

 _A moment, a love_

 _A dream aloud_

 _A moment, a love_

 _A dream, aloud_

Riley climbed on top of her boyfriend as they continued to kiss. She was about to take things a little further when she suddenly sat up, panic etched across her face. "What time are they going to be here?"

Lucas reached for his phone of the nightstand beside him. He checked the time. "They're supposed to land in two hours."

Riley's panic turned to glee as she grinned mischievously. "So, we have time for…" she trailed off.

Lucas's smile matched her own. "Whatever you want. You're the one graduating. This whole weekend...whatever you want. I'm here to serve."

Graduation. She looked forward to that for what felt like forever. She was actually going to be a school counselor. She was going to be able to help middle schoolers face the same problems that she and her group of friends faced when they were that age. She knew she'd encounter different problems as well, and she was ready for it. She wanted to help everyone get through those turbulent years. She wasn't quite sure how she would've survived without Maya, Farkle, and Lucas. Her eyes met his after he sat the phone back down on the nightstand. "Hey…you're one year behind. And then you'll be Dr. Friar. I'm just Riley Matthews, Masters of Clinical Psychology."

"You never were _just_ Riley Matthews," he raised an eyebrow at her. She was never anything ordinary. Lucas knew that she never could be. That was one thing that made him fall in love with her. She was uniquely Riley. There never would be another one in the universe. He thanked God every day for the woman in front of him. There had never been another. There never would be another. She was the one. He had known that for almost as long as he had known her.

"Smooth," she teased before she leaned down to kiss his neck.

 _So stay there_

 _'Cause I'll be coming over_

 _And while our blood's still young_

 _It's so young, it runs_

 _And won't stop til it's over_

 _Won't stop to surrender_

It took Lucas a moment to form a thought. Sure, they had been together for about half of their lives, but every touch still took his breath away. "Hey, I have to work you while I can. In a few months, you'll be back in the city, and I'll be here."

Riley stopped kissing his neck. She sighed before she sat back up, legs still on either side of his hips. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Don't remind me," she told him solemnly. Home. She was going home. Sure, she loved Texas and loved being able to spend the last few years with Lucas, but she missed being home. They decided about a year earlier that they both wanted to be back in New York. Riley was hesitant at first. Who needs a vet in New York? But, she reasoned, a lot of people did have animals that would need care. He also assured her by telling her that he missed the city. As much as Texas ran through his blood, his home was in New York with their friends, his parents, and her family.

"We agreed," he told her.

She took a deep breath. "I know. We both want to be closer to home. I just finished first and dad was able to get me on at the school so I could gain that experience." It was dumb luck, really. The counselor who was at the school, the same one Riley and her friends visited with on a few occasions, decided to move away from the city after her divorce. Riley felt bad for her, but when her father told her he had suggested her for the position with her Uncle John, she was elated. It was exactly what she wanted. She went through the interview process with other applicants, but in the end, Riley won the principal over.

Lucas gave her a smile when he noticed a hint of a smile on Riley's lips. He was going to miss her more than words could possibly dictate, but he knew he had to be the one to push her into going. He knew one word from him and she would stay. "Exactly. And Maya is there too."

"So weird. I can't believe the three of us are going to be at John Quincy Adams." It would be the weirdest form of déjà vu. Maya and Riley, back at John Quincy Adams Middle School. She wondered what kind of adventures they would get into now. Maybe nothing as crazy as before, but she knew something was bound to happen. Riley laughed at the thought of it. Maya was still getting into scrapes. And Riley, even all the way in Texas, was still the one to pull her out of them.

When she laughed, Lucas grinned. "Back to where it all began."

 _Songs of desperation_

 _I played them for you_

 _A moment, a love_

 _A dream aloud_

 _A kiss, a cry_

 _Our rights_

 _Our wrongs_

Riley's laughter faded with his words. It would be like going back…except for one major difference. "But you won't be there." Farkle was still in the city. He was starting up his own IT company. He had told them all about it, but Riley, though extremely proud of her friend, had no idea what he was talking about when he described the company to her. Either way, Farkle would be around. Lucas, however, wouldn't be.

He watched her demeanor shift from joy to sadness in less than a second, it seemed. "It's one year, Riley. One year and then we can get settled. We'll all be in the same city again. We both know you don't want to be here."

Logic. He was trying to use logic on her. Did he not know who she was? "I want to be with you."

"I know that, but you can't pass this chance up." He wasn't about to let her back out now. JQA was perfect for Riley in every way. She knew the school. She knew a lot of the teachers. Her father would be there. Her best friend would be there. Lucas knew she would regret it if she decided to stay in Texas one more year. "And besides," he added, "you've barely seen your family the last few years, especially your aunt." He could barely hide his laughter at the mention of Riley's aunt.

"Ha ha," she rolled her eyes. Lucas was never going to let her live this one down. They all knew it was inevitable, but when it became a reality, Lucas and Farkle teased her mercilessly about it. "My Aunt Maya. That's so weird. They've been together forever, but Aunt Maya takes some getting used to."

"It's been a year," he chuckled.

 _A moment, a love_

 _A dream aloud_

 _A moment, a love_

 _A dream aloud_

"It'll be good to be home," she took a deep breath. Although she trusted Lucas completely, she remembered quite well what being apart did to them. It almost ruined their relationship. Though she found herself apart from him, it wasn't exactly an experience she was ready to go through ever again. "I'm not denying that. I just wish—"

"I know," he moved his hand up to cup her face. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about what could happen during their time apart again, but they were able to make it through last time. They came out stronger. He knew this time would be different than the last though. This time nothing was going to get in between them. "It's going to be hard to let you go after two years of seeing you every day, but we have to do what we have to do, right?"

She still wasn't happy at the thought of leaving him behind in Texas, but he had a point. "You're right. You're always right." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you know how annoying that is?"

"Oh, really," he moved his hands to her hips and flipped them over so she was on her back as he hovered above her.

 _Stay there_

 _'Cause I'll be coming over_

 _And while our blood's still young_

 _It's so young, it runs_

 _And won't stop til it's over_

 _Won't stop to surrender_

Riley wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer to her. She smiled against his lips as they kissed. Every kiss felt electric to her. Even after being with him for years now. She loved the rush she always felt when his lips met hers. She groaned when she felt him pull back. "What," she whined.

He hated to pull away from her. He hated it even more when he saw her pout. It would be so easy to just stay in bed a little longer with her. He also knew that they had things to do. "We have to get ready to pick your family up at the airport," he let out a breath as he sat up. They both stayed that way for a moment as they each looked around the room. Eventually, their eyes landed back on one another. He knew they needed to get up, but he just couldn't. She looked too beautiful this morning.

Riley grinned at him as she seemed to read his mind. "They can wait a few minutes, right?"

 _And won't stop til it's over_

 _Won't stop til it's over_

 _Won't stop til it's over_

 _Won't stop to surrender_


	3. Chapter Two

_**A/N: Thank you all for being patient while I finished "Pas de Deux" before really getting into this one. I'm currently writing ahead in it in the hopes of doing at least one update a week, most likely though it will be a few updates per week from here on out. I hope you guys enjoy it.**_

* * *

Chapter Two

Riley and Lucas sprinted through the airport as they tried to find the right terminal for the 9:00am flight from New York. Lucas was the first one to spot the arrow that lead to it. He looked behind him at a bewildered Riley before he gently grabbed her hand. "This way," he called over his shoulder as they jogged over to the terminal. They were late. Not extremely late, but they both knew Maya and Josh would try to make it awkward between Riley's parents and them.

As soon as they reached their destination, they saw her family come out of the tunnel. Riley and Lucas exchanged glances, grateful for the slight flight delay. They tried to quickly catch their breaths as they watched her family walk towards them.

Riley grinned when she saw her parents and her brother. The last time she saw them was at Christmas, over five months ago. Her little brother, she mused, wasn't so little anymore. He easily towered over the rest of them. He was even taller than Josh. She looked beside them at Josh and Maya. They looked completely enamored with one another as they held hands. Riley began to walk toward them, but paused when she noticed something. Something different. It took her brain a moment to process it, but when it did, Riley broke off into a sprint towards her family. She stopped right in front of Maya, her eyes as big as saucers. "Maya," she spoke softly as she looked over her best friend.

"I told you she would notice," Maya looked up at Josh who merely shrugged in response. "I'm as big as a house and I'm only four months in."

"Four months!" Riley's voice echoed throughout the crowded airport. She reached her hand out. "Is it…can I…"

Maya grinned as she took her best friend's hand and placed it on her swollen stomach. "Four months," Maya confirmed. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Uh, yeah," Riley's eyes watered. "I'm surprised." Riley took another step closer as she embraced her best friend. "Congratulations, peaches," she raised her hand up to stroke Maya's hair. "If you weren't pregnant with my cousin, I would smack you for hiding this from me."

Maya chuckled as the women broke apart from their embrace. "I'm sorry. Josh and I wanted to make sure we got through the first trimester before we told anyone. Your parents only found out a few weeks ago." She had heard horror stories about women miscarrying in their first trimester. She didn't want to get everyone excited just for something bad to happen, so she made Josh keep it a secret until she was well into her second trimester. After her last appointment, the doctor assured them both that there was a healthy baby growing in her womb.

Riley looked down. "You look great." That was an understatement. Maya seemed to positively glow. Riley had never seen her best friend so blissfully content.

Maya looked down at herself. It felt like her stomach grew overnight. Being pregnant was the weirdest feeling in the world, but she loved every second of it—aside from the horrible morning sickness she experienced during her first trimester. "I'm huge for four months. This little guy is probably coming early."

"It's a boy," Riley gushed.

"No, we don't know yet," Josh said as he pulled Riley in for a hug. "We still have a few weeks before we find out." Secretly Josh hoped for a boy, but as long as the baby was healthy, he didn't care. All he wanted was for mom and baby to get through this safely. Josh stepped back to put an arm around Maya. His protectiveness over the blonde had kicked in as soon as she told him she was pregnant. Josh had always felt protective over Maya, but she quickly let him know when they first began dating that she could handle herself. Now that the two loves of his life were within one body, Josh was determined to do everything possible to keep them safe.

"Enough about me," Maya reached for Riley's hand. "This weekend is all about you."

"We are so proud of you," Cory added as he hugged his daughter.

"Thank you, dad."

While Riley hugged her mother and brother, Cory casually strolled toward Lucas. "Lucas," he greeted.

Lucas nodded. "Sir." He watched Maya and Josh approach him as well.

Cory made sure that Riley was out of earshot before he spoke. "Everything set up?"

Lucas glanced at Riley who was engaged in an animated conversation with her mother and brother. His gaze shifted back to Cory. "Everything is ready to go tomorrow night."

Cory looked at him for a moment before he grinned. He put his arm around Lucas. "It's good to see you again."

Lucas's smile matched Cory's. "You too, sir." Cory Matthews. His teacher. His mentor. Even though it had been years since Lucas was last in a classroom with the man next to him, he still felt he had a lot to learn from him. Besides Riley, Mr. Matthews had the biggest impact on his life. He always saw the good in him, just like Riley had. From the first moment he met his history teacher, he knew he wanted Mr. Matthews to be proud of him. Years later and that feeling never faded. It meant everything to him when he felt that Cory finally approved of his relationship with Riley. Sure, Lucas knew Cory liked him, but accepting him as a suitable partner for his daughter was another story. Though Cory insisted he always approved of Lucas, Lucas wasn't quite convinced. He couldn't even begin to count how many shoes he lost climbing out of Riley's window when they were younger. He glanced at Josh and Maya. "Maya, we need to talk."

Maya's eyes lit up as a devilish smile formed on her lips. "Indeed we do, Ranger Rick. Word on the street is that you have something you need to ask me." She had been waiting for this moment ever since they were in high school. She was going to enjoy every single second of this conversation.

He nodded. Truth be told, he was more nervous about talking to Maya about all of this than he was Mr. Matthews. He just knew that she was going to give him a hard time about it. "Not here. I don't want the others to hear."

She nodded. "That's fine." She couldn't wait to make him squirm. This was a long time coming.

Lucas looked down at her stomach and then at Josh. "You two don't waste any time, do you?"

Maya and Josh laughed.

"Congratulations guys. Honestly, this will just reinforce the decision to move back for her," he gestured to where Riley stood, still talking a mile a minute about something to her mother and brother.

Maya's smile faded as her eyebrows furrowed. "She's hesitating? She didn't tell me that."

"She doesn't want a repeat of last time." It was hard for him to come to that conclusion. Riley never openly told him why she had reservations about moving back, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that a lot of it had to do with the fact that the two of them nearly fell apart when they were away from each other. Lucas carried a lot of that blame, and although he tried to reassure her that it wasn't going to happen like that ever again, she was still a little hesitant to move back.

"Can't say I blame her for that. But, it's different this time, right?"

"You know it is."

* * *

"So what's the plan for the weekend," Cory asked once they all regrouped at Riley and Lucas's apartment. Cory, Topanga, and Auggie opted to stay at a hotel about a mile from the apartment, while Maya and Josh took the spare bedroom at Riley and Lucas's apartment. Once Cory got checked in at the hotel, everyone met back up at their apartment.

"Well, we figured that tonight we could all go to Chubbie's for dinner," Riley suggested. "They have the best barbeque in the city."

Maya sighed. "I miss Farkle." She had only been to Chubbie's one time, but that one time held a lot of memories for the blonde.

"Why," Auggie asked.

Lucas, Riley, and Maya chuckled. "He really enjoyed the ribs at Chubbie's—more than he thought he would," Riley told him. "Anyway, they are having some live music tonight, so what do you say?"

"It's your weekend," Topanga smiled, "We are definitely in."

"Great," she grinned. "Hey mom, can I get your opinion on what to wear tomorrow? I can't decide." Cream or purple? Riley couldn't make her mind up at the store, so she ended up buying both. She reasoned that she would eventually wear both anyway, and the discount she got on them was to die for. Still, she was completely conflicted on what to wear to the ceremony.

"Absolutely," Topanga replied as she and Riley started to walk toward her bedroom.

"Wait for me," Maya called from behind them.

"Hey, Lucas," Auggie asked once he heard Riley close the bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

Auggie tried to think quickly for an excuse to go outside. "Can we go check out your jeep? I'm trying to figure out what kind of car I want when I go off to college."

Lucas lifted his left eyebrow in confusion. Cory was getting Auggie a car? "Yeah…sure."

* * *

Lucas hit the unlock button on his keys as he walked toward the driver's side of the vehicle. "So your parents are getting you a car?"

Auggie gave him a knowing look. "Are you kidding? Have you met my dad?"

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle at the eighteen year old. "That's what I thought."

"I wanted to talk to you away from everyone, and that was all I came up with." Auggie opened the passenger side door.

"Ah," Lucas said as he climbed into the driver's seat. Once Auggie got settled on the passenger side, Lucas turned to him. "What's up, Aug?"

It took Auggie a moment to think about what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. "Do you remember when I was six years old that we had a conversation about Riley? It was back when she was telling everyone you were her brother."

Lucas nodded. He remembered every word of that conversation. It was one of the most intimidating conversations he had ever had with anyone, even if Auggie was six years old at the time. Truth be told, it wasn't much of a conversation. It was more Auggie laying down the law with Lucas on how to treat Riley.

"As Riley's brother," Auggie continued, "I have some things to say to you. First off, I want you to know that I know exactly what's going on."

"You do," Lucas asked slowly. He didn't want to give anything away just in case Auggie was talking about something completely different. He knew Riley's parents wouldn't say anything to him about it, just in case he accidentally let something slip, so before Lucas would dare say a word, he had to make sure they were talking about the same thing.

Sensing his confusion, Auggie elaborated, "They didn't tell me, but you forget that I'm Riley's brother. I'm nosey. I overheard them talking about this weekend before we went to the airport."

"Ok." Lucas took a deep breath. He was anticipating an intense conversation with Maya about this. He never would have thought he would have one with Riley's brother, although looking back on it, he should have guessed. Lucas nervously cleared his throat. "So, how do you feel about it then?"

"I told you a long time ago that Riley was my sister and that I was her only brother." Auggie knew exactly what he thought about it all. He felt like he knew Lucas, knew how he felt about Riley. And Auggie knew for sure how Riley felt about him.

"I remember." Lucas clearly remembered the whole exchange. He was glad he wasn't the only person who thought the idea of Riley and him becoming more like siblings was completely ridiculous.

"And her only brother is telling you for the last time, whatever happens… _don't_ _hurt my sister_." He clearly remembered telling Lucas that in his bedroom in New York when he was younger. It rang just as true now as it did then.

"Auggie, you know us. You know me. After everything, do you think I would ever intentionally hurt her?" He had never tried to hurt her, never wanted to hurt her. Those rare moments when he did haunted him, made him realize even more that he wanted to protect her, cherish her. He never wanted to see her in pain again, let alone be the cause of it.

Auggie took a long moment to consider it. He had read Riley's diary enough over the years to have a general understanding of their relationship, not to mention witnessing their courtship firsthand. He knew that if there was any indication that Lucas had hurt Riley that his dad wouldn't be so happy about everything going on. "No," he finally answered. "But I felt that I had to talk to you about it, because she's my sister. Even though she's older than me, I will protect her with my life."

"I will too, Auggie."

"Good." Auggie smiled. "Now, that that's settled, can I drive your jeep around?"

Lucas didn't even have to think about it. "No."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

* * *

"Dragging me out because you had a craving…pretty good scheme, Maya," Lucas complimented to her as they sat down outside of the ice cream parlor that was about four blocks from where Lucas lived.

"I've had better ones," she smiled. "It's a good thing Riley is super distracted right now. She didn't blink twice when you offered to take me."

Lucas chuckled. "I definitely should give you more credit for your schemes. I thought for sure your biggest one was going to blow up in our faces." Sure, they could laugh about it all now, but at the time, Lucas wasn't convinced that Maya's plan was a good one. People could have, and did, get hurt.

"It almost did," Maya laughed as she remembered her greatest scheme, her legacy, at John Quincy Adams Junior High. "Some of my students even know about that." Everyone thought Riley was the only one who could take matters into her own hands. Not that time. Not when it came to her own feelings.

"I'm not surprised." He wanted to regret what happened, but he couldn't. Every drama, every scheme, every heartbreak led him to where he was at this moment. He wouldn't want his life any other way than what it was right now.

"Ok, Lucas," Maya cleared her throat, her tone serious, "What do you have for me?"

"You get right to the point, don't you?"

She looked him in the eye, the smile gone from her face. "When it comes to Riley, you know I do." That part was true, had been true since the day they met, but she knew what Lucas was going to ask her. She knew what she was going to say. She just really wanted to see him squirm a little.

"I know," Lucas leaned back in his seat. "I actually debated on who I should talk to first about this: you or Mr. Matthews."

"I thought he knew about this before you even moved out here?"

"He did. I talked to him about it the summer before I transferred to A&M. Then everything got so screwed up." He shook his head at the memory. "Anyway…I spoke with him first because he was the only one who knew that I had been thinking about it for awhile."

"Oh please," she chuckled, "I knew you were going to do it way before you asked Mr. Matthews."

"Am I that transparent?"

She shook her head. "I've just always been able to read you. You forget that I was there for most of the big moments between you two." She was always their biggest supporter. She knew that no one ever made Riley smile quite like Lucas did. And Maya knew that Lucas worshipped Riley. A few misunderstandings aside, Maya knew that he would never hurt her.

"So…you're ok with it?" He couldn't believe she was letting him get away with it this easily.

Maya started to speak, but paused. She was making this way too easy for him. She had looked forward to this day for years. She wasn't about to let him slide that easy. "Ok with what?" She smiled. She was going to make him say every word.

He rolled his eyes. He should have known better. "Mrs. Matthews?"

"Hmm," she batted her eyelashes.

He leaned forward in his seat. He knew she'd approve, but he still had a twinge of nervousness about asking. "May I have your blessing to marry your best friend?"

Maya grinned. She had patiently waited a decade for this moment. Now that it was here, she couldn't tease him any longer. They both knew that Maya had supported their relationship ever since Riley met Lucas. Sure, she could give him the third degree and ask him all kinds of crazy questions about their future, about who would win in arguments, about how he would treat her. Maya had every intention on doing just that, but at that moment, she knew all of those answers. She had known for a long time that not only could Lucas not find anyone better than Riley, but that Riley could never find anyone that loved her as much as Lucas did. That was the only answer Maya needed before making her decision. "Duh, Huckleberry."


	4. Chapter Three

_**A/N: Sorry about the formatting with the lyrics. I don't know why ff hates music in fics. Anyway, the song used in this chapter is Kelsea Ballerini's "Looking at Stars". And I have no clue what's going to happen in the show for the rest of the season, but I wanted to try to sneak GMTexas into the canon of this series, so I manipulated what happened in those episodes to fit what I've already established as their history in "Stay" and "Go". This chapter is probably one of the best I've written (at least that's what I think). I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**_

* * *

Chapter Three

"It's so weird being back here." Maya looked around the restaurant. Had it really been 11 years since she had been here? It felt just like yesterday. It was exactly as she remembered it. License plates still adorned the back wall. The same western décor was scattered throughout the restaurant. So much had changed in those eleven years. She glanced at her swollen stomach before she looked at the group who trailed slightly behind her. When she noticed Lucas and Riley holding hands, she smiled. Well, not everything had changed.

When Riley noticed Maya looking back at them, she skipped slightly to catch up with her. She linked her arm with Maya's as they continued to walk a few steps ahead of everyone else. "Isn't it?" She looked around. "We eat here a few times a month, but whenever we walk in, I still think about that first time."

"When you thought you and Lucas could be like brother and sister?"

Riley nudged her. "If only I could go back in time and smack my fourteen year old self."

"No," Maya shook her head. "It's something we all had to go through. Who knows…if we hadn't, then we wouldn't have ended up exactly where we did." She looked back at Josh as they reached their table. "And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Riley looked over at Lucas. "I couldn't agree more."

"So who is playing tonight," Topanga asked as they all got seated.

"Kelsea Ballerini," Riley replied. "A lot of my classmates love her."

"Still can't quite get into the country music, huh Riles," Josh smiled.

Riley thought about it for a moment. It wasn't that she hated country music. It was just different. "I've lived here for two years, and I like it, but I'm not as up to speed as I am with other genres."

"Are you going to DJ again when you come back to the city," Auggie asked as he began to look through the menu.

Riley shook her head. "Nah. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I'm ready to do some real good in the world. I want to help kids." She still loved music, and even made a few mixes during some of her down time, but she knew that wasn't the life she wanted.

Cory smiled. "Some things never change."

Riley matched her father's smile. "I'm looking forward to being your colleague, Mr. Matthews."

Maya shook her head. "I wouldn't. He steals all of the creamer in the teacher's lounge."

Cory placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. "I don't do that!"

Maya laughed. "Oh Riles, I can't wait."

Riley's smile faltered slightly as she thought about being apart from Lucas for a year. "I can't wait either." She was happy to be going home, and knew that the space would be good for her and Lucas—a true test to how far they've come as a couple over the last few years-but she couldn't help but be a little hesitant about it. She had faith in them, but she couldn't go through all of that again.

Maya frowned. She could tell Riley wasn't as convinced that the move would be the best thing for them. Without even having to ask, Maya could tell that her best friend was anxious about it. She knew Riley wanted to move home, but as Maya and everyone else at the table knew, the last time Lucas and Riley spent any real time apart, they both became the worst versions of themselves. _'They're better when they're together,'_ Maya thought to herself as she saw Lucas stand up and offer his hand to Riley to go dance with her. "Some things never change," she lightly laughed to herself.

"Cory, let's go," Topanga grinned as she looked from the dance floor back to her husband.

Cory chuckled. She couldn't be serious. "Dancing? Uh, Topanga, you know that—"

Topanga looked beside her husband at her son. "Auggie? Care to dance with your mother?"

Auggie groaned. "Really, mom?"

"Hey! I didn't say no." Cory was never a fan of dancing, but he knew that Topanga loved it. And it was worth the humiliation just to see that beautiful smile of her's.

"Well?"

Cory stood up and offered his hand. "Mrs. Matthews, would you care to dance?"

Topanga grinned as she placed her hand in his. "Absolutely."

Taking a cue from his brother, Josh turned to Maya. "Mrs. Matthews?"

Maya snorted. "Uh, no," she declined as she scanned the menu. "I'm starving."

Josh laughed. "I would never interrupt that. Auggie and I will get you whatever you want."

* * *

"Still able to keep up," Lucas smiled as they reached the dance floor.

"With you? Always," Riley said as she matched the dance moves with the other dancers around them. "Do you remember the first time we did this?"

"I remember everything, Riley."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye as they continued to dance side by side. "Do you remember what I said?"

Lucas wasn't sure where she was going with this. He felt his heart beat speed up as he turned to dance face to face with her. He was amazed that someone like Riley would choose him to spend her life with. They had been through so much together. Their story wasn't simple, not as simple as Lucas thought it would be when they first met. Their story had bumps, bruises, twists, and turns, but at the end of it all, he wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything in the world. Every moment, every hurtful word, every sleepless night had led them to where they were right then and there. He couldn't imagine being happier than he was. This beautiful, strong woman in front of him was everything, had been everything since she fell onto his lap in the subway so many years ago. Now here she was, bringing up one of the darkest parts of their story. He frowned. "Which part?"

Riley twisted her hips to the song as she slid down the line, her eyes never leaving Lucas's face. "We've been through so much," she began as she drifted further down the line. When she ended up back in front of him, she continued, "I told you that I always wanted to be able to talk to you—that I always wanted you to be around. I told you that I didn't want us to be one of those couples who dated, then broke up. Even then I knew that I always wanted you around. I wanted you in my life, but now-" She stopped mid sentence when she slid further down the line again.

Lucas's eyes widened. Was this really happening again? Now? Here? What about everything they had talked about? They had discussed their future together-quite often actually. She couldn't possibly be doing this. "Now what, Riley," he practically shouted, panic evident in his tone.

"Calm down," Cory admonished as he and Topanga popped up next to him. "Some of us are trying to dance."

"You're slow dancing to a fast paced song, sir." It was hard to be polite. His sunshine was trying to tell him something, something important, and their past on this very dance floor made Lucas extremely nervous about what she was about to say. As much as Lucas loved Riley's parents, he really wanted to know what was on his girlfriend's mind.

"We're listening to a slow song in our hearts," Cory cooed as pressed his cheek against his wife's.

"It's the only kind of dancing he can do, Lucas," Topanga added.

Cory leaned back to look at her. "Topanga!"

Topanga looked at Lucas, and noticed the strain on his face. She could tell they were interrupting something important. "Come on, honey," she said as she took the lead, guiding them away from the young couple on the floor.

The dancers turned, so Riley and Lucas stood beside one another once more. "You were saying," Lucas prodded.

Riley turned to look at him, breaking off from the other dancers. "I wanted you in my life then, but now—now, I need you. I can't imagine going through the rest of my life without you there."

Lucas let out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding in. "You sure know how to worry me."

"I didn't mean to. It's just…being here again, with my family, and with graduation coming up and moving and everything…I just need you to know that I trust you and you're what's important to me." She reached for his hand as they both stopped dancing. "You always have been."

He smiled at her. "You know you've always been important to me, Riley."

* * *

After a few more dances, and one huge meal, the group of seven stood around at the stage. Riley couldn't believe how amazing the night had turned out. Sure, she and Lucas had visited Chubbie's since everything that happened in the 8th grade, but it still felt haunted in a way. Yes, all three of them were way past what had happened, so much so that Riley never gave it much thought until she moved to Texas. It wasn't that she thought something would happen between Maya and Lucas. Riley glanced at Maya, who lightly drummed her fingers across her swollen abdomen. She saw Josh walk up beside her and put his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer to him. Riley smiled at the sight before she looked back at the stage. She knew what it was: the thought. The mere thought of losing him had always terrified her, so much so that she ran from any type of relationship with him for longer than she should have. Every time she came to Chubbie's she thought about that: about how she thought she had lost him forever. How she thought that by pushing him away, she was somehow doing what was best for their friendship. Chubbie's was her realty check, her reminder that sometimes it's not the best idea to run away, to keep things from changing. She smiled when she felt his arms wrap around her. She willingly took a small step back so she could fully be in his embrace.

Neither said a word as they saw the MC step onto the stage. "Good evening everyone," he began. "Tonight at Chubbie's, we are proud to announce the return of the fabulous Kelsea Ballerini."

The audience clapped as the blonde stepped onto the stage. Lucas took the opportunity to kiss the top of Riley's head as the singer began to strum the guitar.

 _/The night is young and so are we, so you what you say_

 _We go and see it all for ourselves?_

 _Yeah, yeah/_

Riley leaned her head back slightly to rest on Lucas's chest as his arms tightened around her. She remembered standing almost in the exact same spot, listening to Maddie and Tae, scared out of her mind. Scared of being with Lucas, scared of losing Lucas, scared to let anyone know how she really felt. She wanted to tell them both right then and there how she really about him, but one look at Maya, and she knew she couldn't.

 _/There's a spot I know down the road we can go_

 _Only me and you and no one else_

 _Yeah, yeah/_

Maya needed to explore her feelings for him. Riley knew that. Riley also knew that Maya would have never done that if Riley hadn't lied and said Lucas was like a brother to her. At the time, she thought it was the right thing to do. Riley wasn't ready to risk her friendship with Lucas for something more, so why not allow her best friend to test the waters and see what they were to one another? Riley nodded her head to the beat of the song. If she only knew then what she knew now.

 _/I ain't looking for a crowd_

 _Another night on the town_

 _I want a one way ticket where the creaking crickets_

 _Are the only sound/_

A scheme. It had all been a scheme, well, most of it. Initially, Maya really was confused about her feelings toward Lucas. However, at the campfire, after Riley and Farkle had allowed Lucas and Maya some alone time, they figured it out. Riley never asked for specifics. She didn't need to know what they talked about, and truth be told, she didn't want to know. All she knew was that apparently, they had a long conversation about several topics including Maya's feelings about Josh and Lucas's feelings about Riley. Unsure of how Riley truly felt about Lucas, Maya came up with a scheme—her legacy, as she later referred to it. Before putting any sort of plan into action, Maya wanted to talk to Riley, to see if this whole charade could end without the smoke and mirrors. When Riley refused to listen to anything about what happened between Maya and Lucas in Texas, and kept insisting that Maya needed to 'feel what she feels', Maya decided that Riley deserved that much as well. It didn't mean that Maya was going to let it go. In fact, Maya had a plan to get Riley to admit her true feelings for Lucas. It was painfully obvious to her that Riley still cared about Lucas. Instead of listening to reason-and the fact that Charlie Gardener started sniffing around Riley-Maya felt she had no other choice but to put her plan into action.

 _/So baby, pick me up, I'll be in the drive_

 _Take me where the moon's hanging in the sky_

 _We can park it by the river, get out and throw the tailgate down down down/_

It took a great deal of acting on her part, Lucas's too, but they did it. They pretended to date. Knowing Farkle and Zay had big mouths, they decided to keep it between them. Maya figured Riley would've cracked as soon as she heard Maya and Lucas were going out, but she didn't. It killed Maya to do it. It was painfully obvious that Riley was becoming more and more depressed as the days ticked on. The ruse took its toll on Maya and Lucas as well. She had to convince Lucas daily that what they were doing was right. Riley need to realize her feelings for Lucas. She needed to admit to herself that she saw him as more than a brother, even as more than a friend. Riley could've kept the ruse going for as long as she felt Maya and Lucas were happy. If Farkle hadn't stepped in when he did, she was certain someone would have gone insane.

Farkle told Maya. That's how it began. Maya then told Lucas. She begged him to let her speak with Riley first. She knew that things would be easier if everything came from her. He agreed. Unfortunately for both of them, they hadn't considered how livid Riley would be knowing that she had been deceived.

 _/You can steal a kiss, maybe even two_

 _Only the track and the tree's gonna see what we do_

 _All I wanna be is wrapped in your arms, laying in the dark,_

 _Looking at stars/_

Riley was relieved that Maya and Lucas had decided months before that they were better off as friends, and after a few days and countless hours of soul searching at her bay window, she had decided three things. The first was that she wasn't going to lie like that to either of them again. She knew that was part of the blame for everything. The second thing she decided was that nothing Maya ever did would ever change how Riley felt about her. Maya was her sister. She would love her no matter what. The third thing Riley decided was that she still wasn't ready to be with Lucas. Yes, she was mad at him for going along with this ridiculous scheme, but she also knew how he felt about her, and he knew how she felt about him. But knowing his true feelings didn't make her words in Chubbie's any less true. She didn't want to lose him because that's what everyone did. Everyone else dated, broke up, hated each other. She wasn't ready to risk that, risk losing him completely. He said he would wait. She told him she didn't know if she would ever be ready. It took her another year before she decided to take the leap with him.

 _/We can rename constellations while we're making wishes_

 _Don't it make you feel so small?_

 _Yeah, yeah/_

All of that seemed like another lifetime ago. That seemed like another world, another version of themselves that seemed to be frozen in time. Riley looked back at Maya and Josh. They were blissfully unaware of anyone else around them. Maya seemed so happy, happier than Riley had ever seen her. She was positively glowing. Riley's eyes shifted to her uncle as she watched him place a hand on Maya's stomach. A baby. They were going to have a baby. And Riley was going to actually be there for it. She was going to be there for Maya every step of the way. It was a new chapter for all of them now. The past was in the past. They were all happy, they were all exactly where they were meant to be. Riley looked over at her father who had an arm wrapped around her mother's shoulders. The long game. Another lifetime ago, her father taught her that 'when you play the long game correctly, everyone ends up exactly as they were meant to'. She looked around her. He was right. Everything was perfect.

 _/We can talk about forever for a minute, maybe never,_

 _Just kiss and say nothing at all_

 _Yeah, yeah/_

Lucas was happy. No, he was more than that. He wasn't sure quite how to describe it, but everything was finally coming together. The last few years with Riley had been pure magic. It was the first time in their lives where they were together without everyone else scrutinizing them. After she moved to Texas, she began to turn to him for advice on problems she was facing with school, arguments with her family, and even what she was going to do with her life. She had always been able to talk to him—ever since that day in the library when they were in 7th grade—but this was different. He was so used to her going to Maya first. Sure, she would talk to him about things if they were huge, but now, it was the little things too. He loved it. He never wanted to come in between her friendship with Maya, and even mentioned it to Riley, but Riley just smiled and told him that she and Maya had that conversation before she moved. Josh had proposed, and Maya came to Riley to see what she thought about the whole thing. Riley didn't hesitate in giving her blessing. Lucas knew Maya and Riley were as close as ever, but their friendship had grown enough to allow room for Josh and himself.

 _/Baby, hurry up and get here_

 _So we can disappear_

 _The clouds are breaking, don't keep me waiting_

 _Never seeing a night this clear/_

Lucas loved the last two years with just Riley. Everyone always commented on how much alike they were, so to take the jump to moving in with one another was relatively seamless. Of course, they each had a few quirks that needed to be discussed, like Riley's tendency to throw her clothes all over the room instead of the clothes hamper and Lucas's penchant for drinking right out of the milk carton.

He held her a little closer when his thoughts turned to living without her for the next year. Of course, they had already planned visits out, but it wasn't going to be the same. He was used to seeing her everyday when he came home from class. He was used to waking up with her by his side. He enjoyed every second of free time they had together. They had already built a life together and although they both agreed to move back to the city, he couldn't help but be sad at the thought of their world changing again.

 _/So baby, pick me up, I'll be in the drive_

 _Take me where the moon's hanging in the sky_

 _We can park it by the river, get out and throw the tailgate down down down/_

He looked at her parents. He had always looked up to them. Obviously, he admired them both. Mr. Matthews was his teacher and Mrs. Matthews was a well-respected attorney and small business owner. They seemed like perfection. As much as Mr. Matthews tried to pretend not to like him, Lucas always knew that he did. They intimidated Lucas. Riley grew up with an amazing couple as parents. He knew that she would want that for herself. He also knew that her parents would want that for her. Even Lucas wanted that for her. At the beginning, he was worried that he would fail, but just being with her seemed so effortless. Maya was right. Lucas and Riley were at their best when they were just talking to one another, supporting one another.

When Cory glanced at Lucas, Lucas smiled at him. Cory lifted the right corner of his lips in a half smile. Lucas turned to the stage once more. He remembered the first time he asked Cory's permission to marry his daughter. It was right before he moved to Texas. After making him squirm for a few days, Cory gave his blessing. He planned to ask her during the holidays that year, but his schedule became hectic and then his whole world fell apart.

 _/You can steal a kiss, maybe even two_

 _Only the track and the tree's gonna see what we do_

 _All I wanna be is wrapped in your arms, laying in the dark,_

 _Looking at stars/_

Riley and Lucas swayed together as they listened to the music. _'Home,'_ Lucas concluded in his mind. She was his home. He was nervous about tomorrow. Riley and he had discussed the future on numerous occasions, but now that it was here, would she change her mind about it all? If she wanted time, he would wait, just as he did when she wasn't ready to take their friendship to the next level. The last thing he wanted to do was to push her into something she wasn't ready for.

He took a deep breath. He wasn't going to worry about it now. Right now, in this moment, his ray of sunshine was in his arms, surrounded by most of the people who witnessed their whole relationship, all of the ups and downs. Those people gave him their blessing. He knew that if any of them had any reservations, they would tell him. Everyone seemed genuinely happy about it. He looked down at Riley. She seemed perfectly content in his arms as they listened to the music. This moment was perfect. This night was perfect. Individually, they weren't perfect people. No one was. Together though, oh together, they could move mountains. Lucas knew that there was nothing they couldn't do as long as they were together.

 _/I ain't looking for a crowd_

 _Another night on the town_

 _I want a one way ticket where the creaking crickets_

 _Are the only sound/_

This is what Riley wanted this weekend. She wanted to be surrounded by her family, enjoying the things Austin offered that she couldn't find back in the city, and to just be with him. They had a few more months together before the move, but something kept telling her to enjoy this moment with him. She was insanely happy. She felt more like herself now than she had since high school. She knew that she had come a long way in the last few years. She had gone into the darkness after their breakup, but she was able to pull herself out. Ever since then, she continuously worked to improve herself, to make time for herself, to dance every chance she got, to smile for no reason, to live freely in Rileytown again. She felt more herself now. She had her own civil war, and she won—again.

 _/So baby, pick me up, I'll be in the drive_

 _Take me where the moon's hanging in the sky_

 _We can park it by the river, get out and throw the tailgate down down down/_

Riley noticed some other couples dancing around them. She spun around to face her boyfriend. She didn't say a word as she wrapped her arms on his shoulders and began to sway to the beat of the song. She wanted to remember this moment forever. It wasn't anything huge, not an earth shattering moment in her life, but it was perfect.

 _/You can steal a kiss, maybe even two_

 _Only the track and the tree's gonna see what we do_

 _All I wanna be is wrapped in your arms, laying in the dark,_

 _Looking at stars/_

She was completely taken off guard when he dipped her. It was something he had never done before. She laughed as he brought her back up. "You've learned some new moves," she teased.

"Nah," he smiled, "I've just been saving that for the perfect moment."

 _/Oh, yeah_

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Just looking at stars/_


	5. Chapter Four

_**A/N: I was going to cut this out, but decided to post it as a short chapter instead, because I liked this little interlude and just couldn't bring myself to delete it. I'm sorry**_ _ **for the length. Review/follow/fav—your feedback inspires me and pushes me to continue to evolve as a writer. Love you guys.**_

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

A dream. The whole night felt like a dream. It was so rare for everyone to get together, let alone everyone enjoy music and dinner together, save for Farkle and Zay. Riley and Lucas stayed on the dance floor most of the night. At one point, Riley danced with her father while Lucas danced with her mother.

"You're a great dancer, Lucas," she complimented.

"Thank you Mrs. Matthews. My momma made sure I was brought up knowing how to dance. When I was younger, she used to tell me that all real gentlemen knew how to dance."

Topanga laughed. "What she must think of Riley's father."

He chuckled. "She thinks the world of Mr. Matthews. And look at him," he gestured to where he and Riley were square dancing with another couple, "He can dance. He just chooses to always slow dance with you."

Topanga watched her husband and daughter for a moment before she looked back at Lucas. "You're pretty observant." They danced in silence for a few moments before Topanga spoke again, "You know I've always approved of you."

"You have?"

"Absolutely," she looked back at her husband and daughter. "Riley is so much like her father. It's scary sometimes. You and I are a lot of like. We keep them grounded when they need to be, but we always encourage them be themselves because that's who we love: who they really are."

Lucas nodded.

"I know you're going to take care of each other and love each other."

He gave her smile. "We already do."

"I know. I still feel I have to say it. I couldn't be happier about all of this. I know that I gave you my blessing when Cory did, but I just wanted to tell you again how happy we both are about this. You make our daughter happy. You make her dream. You make her have hope."

"She does the exact same thing for me, Mrs. Matthews."

"Topanga. Call me Topanga."

* * *

Heaven. She was pretty sure that she had died and gone to heaven. And heaven smelled exactly like—Riley's eyes flew open. Pancakes. Lucas's pancakes. She looked beside her and noticed that he wasn't next to her. That smell had to be real. She sprinted out of their bedroom and into the kitchen where she immediately saw him at the stove. "Oh my God," she moaned. She had to admit that the sight of him cooking breakfast in their kitchen was one of her favorites.

Lucas laughed, but didn't turn around. "You don't want to give Josh and Maya the wrong impression do you?"

She blushed. "I'm surprised Maya isn't out here yet. Usually when she smells—"

"Oh my God," Maya practically drooled as she practically sprinted into the kitchen. "I was so hoping you would make breakfast." She subconsciously rubbed her stomach.

"Hungry?" Riley gestured to her bump.

"Starving!"

Both girls sat on the stools at the breakfast bar as they watched Lucas make breakfast. "You two might want to get ready soon." He glanced at the clock. "Your parents and Auggie are coming for breakfast, then we have to be at the school by eleven."

Riley's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I'm graduating today!" She hoped down from her stool, walked into the kitchen, and attempted to grab a piece of bacon that sat on a plate next to the stove. Lucas playfully smacked her hand. "Aw come on," she whined. "I'm the graduate!"

"You need to get ready." It was very difficult for Lucas to ever deny Riley anything. She just looked too adorable when she pouted.

"It'll give me energy." She inched closer to the plate. "You don't want me to be sluggish while getting ready, do you? It'll take me twice as long and then we will be late getting there. I could miss walking across the stage. Then they could hold my diploma." She inched a little closer. "So if you don't let me get a piece, you could potentially ruin the last two years of school for me."

He rolled his eyes, but grabbed the plate of bacon and held it out for her. "One piece."

"Sweet," she grabbed a slice, kissed him on the cheek, then bounded back to their bedroom to get ready for the day that lay ahead.

"She is so melodramatic," he chuckled as he turned back toward the food—well, until he heard someone clear her throat from behind him. He turned to look at her.

Maya raised her eyebrows at him.

Lucas sighed, grabbed the plate and offered it to her. "Only one."

"But I'm eating for two," she reasoned.

He sighed. "Fine, but don't tell Riley."

Maya grabbed two slices before getting off the stool. "You're the best, huckleberry."

* * *

"You know," Topanga began after everyone finished their breakfast, "I've heard Riley and Maya talk about what an amazing cook you were for years." She looked over at Lucas. "They definitely didn't exaggerate. This was amazing, Lucas."

"Thank you, Mrs. Matthews."

Cory sighed. "I got to admit, it's better than most of my attempts."

"That's an understatement," Auggie snorted. "Can I come live with you once Riley moves back to New York?"

"You'd move to Texas just for breakfast," Topanga asked him.

"No. I'd move to Texas for Lucas's breakfast," he corrected.

The table laughed.

"You need to cook breakfast again while we're here," Maya told him. "The bump and I are completely satisfied right now."

Lucas nodded. "I will tomorrow." He looked around him. "I'm glad you all enjoyed it."

Riley glanced at the clock on the wall. "I hate to break this up, but we need to go."

* * *

Riley sat amongst the thousands of graduates as they all listened to the commencement address. How did she get here? One of her biggest dreams was coming true right in front of her. It was a very surreal moment for the brunette. She was actually done with school. She was about to receive her master's degree in front of most of the important people in her life. She began to panic. What if she tripped walking up the stairs to the stage? What if she took her degree in the wrong hand so she had to awkwardly shake hands with her non dominant hand? What if she stumbled walking across the stage? Why did she have to start thinking of worst-case scenarios? Her eyes scanned around the crowded auditorium. She had no idea where her family was, which made her panic even more. She knew that if she could just see Lucas's face, it would help her calm down. She decided to take a deep breath and close her eyes.

She smiled as an image of him flashed in her mind. Lucas. Her first crush, her first love, her first kiss, her first everything. No matter what they were, he was always there. He always supported her. It didn't matter what hair-brained scheme she had concocted or what crazy adventure she took them all on—he seemed to love every minute of it. As proud as she felt they all were of her, she was even prouder of him. He told her in 7th grade he wanted to be a veterinarian, and he was one year away from that. His love of animals was one of a thousand reasons she always felt drawn to him. Sure, he was easy on the eyes, but it was everything underneath the surface that made Riley fall in love with him. He had the biggest heart of anyone she knew. He stood up for people who weren't quite able to do it for themselves. He found a way to not only control his anger, but when he realized he wasn't going to be able to do it by himself, he was strong enough to seek help.

He was always patient with her, especially when she doubted the longevity of their relationship. She was so scared, but he was always so sure of them. It still amazed her that he knew that they would be together when they were only in the 8th grade. He never gave up on her. He made her stronger, lifted her up. That's what love does. She felt like she was the best Riley she could be because he believed in her. There were so many nights that she would be up all night studying for an exam or writing a paper. Instead of sleeping, Lucas stayed up with her. He would quiz her if she needed it, or would help make pot after pot of coffee if she was writing a paper. No one ever encouraged her quite like he did. And he was here, somewhere, about to watch all of those all nighters pay off.

She took a deep breath as she stood up with the rest of her row. She straightened out her honors cords and medals as she began to walk toward the stage. Now was the time. A new chapter of her life had officially begun. She was ready for whatever life had for her—or so she thought.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

She graduated. It was all a whirlwind, but she got her diploma, took about a million pictures with her family and Lucas's family that lived in Texas. It was a weird feeling to be done with school, but she was ready. She was ready to really meet the world now. A huge chapter in her life was closing, but a new one was just beginning. She couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

She smiled at herself in the mirror. The world could wait. Tonight she was going to celebrate her accomplishments with her family. She glanced at the clock. They were running late, but Riley didn't care. She had to make some time to talk to Farkle. He hated he couldn't be there, but Riley assured him that drinks were on him when she moved back to the city. That was only fair.

The cream colored halter dress she wore made her feel like a princess. It flared out in the waist. It wasn't her normal style, but she loved the way it billowed when she twirled around. She did one last twirl before she grabbed her clutch and walked out of her bedroom.

"Are we ready," she asked the small group that sat in the living room.

"The question is 'are you'," Auggie asked her sarcastically.

"What do you mean," she frowned.

"We are all wearing the same outfits we were this morning. You were the only one who needed to get ready again," he clarified.

"Auggie," Topanga admonished, "be nice to your sister."

"It's fine," Riley chuckled. "I kinda missed Auggie's honesty." She looked at Lucas. "Sorry. Farkle called and I completely lost track of the time."

"It's fine," he smiled as he walked over to her. He stopped right in front of her a placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You look beautiful." He glanced at his watch. "We do need to go though. Reservations are at 7:30."

The group slowly filed out of Lucas and Riley's apartment. Lucas and Riley were the last to amble out. As Lucas turned to lock the apartment door, Riley leaned in to kiss his cheek.

Lucas smiled as he locked the door. "What was that for?"

"For everything," she beamed, "For getting everyone together, for today, for…for just being you." When he turned to her, she took the opportunity to kiss his lips. "I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too."

"You guys coming or what," Maya shouted back to them.

* * *

Maya, Josh, and Auggie filed into Josh's rental car while Cory, Topanga, Lucas, and Riley climbed into Lucas's Jeep. As Lucas began to turn the key into the ignition, he paused for a moment before he finally leaned back in his seat and sighed.

"What's wrong," Riley asked from the passenger seat.

Lucas looked in the rear view mirror to make eye contact with Cory for a brief moment before he turned his head and met Riley's gaze. "I...forgot my wallet."

"Do you need it?" Riley wasn't in a hurry by any means, but she knew that Lucas's family would be waiting for them at the restaurant. It had already been a pretty long day, and it had been quite awhile since they ate breakfast. As if on cue, her stomach growled.

Lucas chuckled when he heard her stomach. "I do if I'm driving, Riles." He unbuckled his seat belt before he climbed out of the car. He turned back to look at her. "I'll only be a minute."

"Ok," she smiled.

The car was silent as Riley watched Lucas jog back to their apartment door. Yeah, it would be pretty stupid to drive around town knowing that you don't have your wallet on you. When she saw Lucas enter their apartment, she turned in her seat to her parents. "Sorry," she apologized.

"For what," Topanga asked.

"For making us late. I know everyone has to be hungry. It's been such a crazy day. It's just that Farkle and I started talking and you know how we get sometimes." It wasn't until she started talking to him that she realized how much she had missed him. Yes, they were able to see one another when Riley and Lucas came to New York over the holidays, but it felt so strange to have everyone here but him and Zay. When Riley began to talk to him, she had this sudden urge to tell him every little detail of their visit so far. Before she knew it, it had been thirty minutes.

"Believe me, I remember," Cory smiled. "You four were always joined at the hip. I hate he couldn't have been here."

Riley hated it too, but at the same time, she completely understood. They were all growing up and building lives of their own. Of course they were all still very close to one another, but sometimes outside influences can come up and prevent them all from getting together. Farkle couldn't help that he was working on a huge project and couldn't make it. "It's a part of growing up, right? Sometimes missing out on the big events." Her eyes wandered to the seat next to her. "Wait."

"What is it," her mother asked.

"It's his wallet," she frowned as she picked up the black leather wallet from the driver's seat. How could he have possibly not seen it lying in his seat? She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door. "I better go get him. He'll tear up the apartment trying to find this." She got out of the car and started to walk toward the building when her father jogged after her.

"Riley, wait," he said as he stopped in front of her.

"Dad," she laughed nervously, "What are you doing?"

Cory had to try to think of something to distract her—stall her. Although he wasn't 100% sure why Lucas went back into the apartment, he wanted to make sure that the night wasn't going to get ruined. Lucas had been planning this whole thing out for months—years even. He had everything set up perfectly. It would crush him if she walked in just as he had the box in his hand. "Just…give him a minute," he finally told her. It wasn't the best thing he could've come up with, but it was all he had at the moment. He just hoped his daughter would take his word for it and go back to Lucas's jeep.

Riley frowned. Why was she even having this conversation with her father? Lucas thought he left his wallet inside their apartment. Riley saw it in his seat. In order for them all to get to the restaurant on time, and to prevent a tornado from coming through her apartment, she needed to go tell him that she found his wallet. "What are you talking about? He's in there looking for—" her words immediately stopped when she heard a loud bang. Her eyes instantly ticked over to their living room window where she saw two flashes of light along with two more loud bangs. Her eyes grew large, but said nothing as she immediately broke off into a run toward her apartment door.

She didn't hear her dad call her name from behind her. She didn't see Maya and Josh get out of the other car. She didn't notice when she literally ran out of her left heel. She didn't think about anything, but what she just saw, what she just heard. She wasn't completely sure of what just happened. She just knew that something wasn't right. Something didn't make sense. She had to get to him, had to see him, had to know he was ok and it was all some misunderstanding. With each step, she felt her world start to crumble.

She crashed into the apartment without any regard for herself. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked around the room. "LUCAS," a voice Riley never heard before-but somehow knew was her's-screamed. Her eyes scanned the room once more. "LUCAS," she screamed again, her voice raw as tears began to swim in her eyes, clouding her vision. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She looked down in complete horror.

* * *

She wasn't sure how she got to him so quickly, but she was at his side in an instant as she gripped his hand, tears streaming down her pale face. "Lucas, Lucas," her voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes scanned over him. There was blood everywhere around them—so much so that Riley couldn't tell where he had been injured. She looked up at his face. He was pale—too pale. His eyes were open, but unfocused. She noticed he was gasping for breath.

Cory rushed in and immediately saw his daughter kneel on the floor beside her boyfriend. Blood was everywhere. He looked in horror at his daughter who was completely drenched in her boyfriend's blood. He had practically frozen in place at the sight of it until he heard someone walk up behind him. He quickly turned around and came face to face with his brother. "Josh, call 911," he commanded, his instincts taking over. "Keep everyone else out of here," he added sternly. After he saw his brother retreat from the doorway, he turned to scan the living room. Something bad had just happened. Cory wasn't sure what, but someone did this. His eyes grew large when the realization hit him that whoever did this could still be in the apartment. His protective instincts immediately kicked in as he began to look around the apartment to see if the intruder was still there.

He looked around the kitchen and the guest room, noting nothing that seemed out of place, nothing that appeared to have been disturbed. He checked each of the two bathrooms where he also failed to notice anything unusual. He quickly checked Lucas and Riley's bedroom. When he discovered that there was an open window, Cory realized that they were alone in the apartment. His temporary relief turned to anger as he realized that whoever had done this had gotten away. He returned to the living room where he saw his little girl begging the love of her life to hang on.

"Lucas," Riley's voice broke, "Stay with me. Please. Please." Tears trickled down her face where they splashed onto her hand, the same hand that gripped Lucas's bloodied right hand. She glanced down his body once more. Maybe she could help stop the bleeding if she knew where it was coming from. She noticed a large pool of blood around his chest. Ok, her brain reasoned, he had been shot in the chest. She tried to look for more wounds when suddenly she took a sharp intake of breath as she realized the amount of blood that now covered them both. She looked back at him. His eyes were now glazed over. He seemed to be looking right through her. "Lucas," she begged. "Please don't go."

"Riley," Cory said solemnly.

Riley sniffed. "It's going to be ok," she told Lucas as her brain didn't compute the fact that her father was even in the room. To her, it was just them. "It's going to be ok. It's all—it's all going to be ok. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She sniffed again as the reality of the situation started to hit her. Her voice broke as sobs began to escape her body. "So, you can't either, ok? Lucas, please…please."

Josh ran into the apartment. "They're coming down the ro…" his voice trailed off when he saw Lucas and Riley in the middle of the living room floor. "Oh my God."

Cory turned to his brother, distress evident on his face. "Josh, please keep everyone away from this."

He nodded numbly as he continued to stare at Lucas and Riley.

"Lucas," Riley commanded softly when she saw his gaze shift to the ceiling, "N-N-No. Look at me. Focus on me," she begged as her voice broke once again. "Don't look away from me. Please. Please," her grip on his hand tightened. "It's going to be ok," she told him, "Just stay with me. Don't go." When he didn't look back at her, Riley's whole body shook as her fear overtook her. "PLEASE," she screamed. "Don't," she sobbed, "You can't leave me. Stay. Please….stay."

The paramedics rushed in. Cory immediately went over to his daughter to try to get her to step back. "Sweetie," he tugged on her shoulders.

"No," she sobbed. "LUCAS," she screamed when she saw his eyes close.

"You have to let them do their job," he told her softly in her ear. When he felt her grip on Lucas loosen, he pulled her up. When he tried to pull her out of the living room, she shrugged him off. Not wanting to push the matter, he let her stand there as the paramedics began to try to stabilize Lucas enough to be able to move him.

"Are you family," one of them asked Riley as three other paramedics began to work on Lucas.

Riley didn't respond as she simply stared at her boyfriend. Truthfully, she hadn't heard a word. Her sole focus was on Lucas. He hadn't opened his eyes again. His beautiful green eyes were closed.

"We are," Cory answered for her.

Riley wasn't sure what else was said—she didn't care about any of that. She had tuned everything out around her. She numbly watched as the paramedics loaded Lucas onto a gurney, taking great care in how they moved him. She held her breath as they wheeled Lucas out of their apartment.

Before the last paramedic left, he turned to Riley who just stared at the doorway Lucas was just wheeled through. "This was in his hand." The paramedic handed Riley the blood stained black velvet box before he rushed out behind the others.

Riley continued to look at the doorway. Had this really just happened? Was she having a nightmare? Would she wake up and see him sleeping peacefully next to her? She blinked several times before her eyes slowly looked down to what the paramedic handed her. She looked at the box in her hand—her brain not quite comprehending what was going on. Her hands shook as she slowly opened it. As soon as she saw the diamond ring that lay inside, her legs gave out from under her. She collapsed to the ground, wracked with sobs.

Cory knelt beside her as he wrapped his arms around her. For once in his life, he was at a complete loss for words. He had an idea of what may have happened, but at the same time, how could _this_ happen? Within the span of a few moments, everything in their lives had changed. He gently rocked his daughter back in forth in his arms—something he hadn't done since she was a baby. Cory was completely stunned. His daughter just found out that her boyfriend was going to propose to her. Instead of this being the best day of her life, she was on the ground in a blood stained dress, completely inconsolable. Life. Everything can change in an instant.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

She was in a complete daze as she felt her father guide her out of the apartment. She didn't remember walking towards Lucas's jeep. She couldn't tell what was being said all around her. She couldn't focus on anything in front of her. She felt someone hug her. She noticed a flash of blonde hair. Maya. Maya was hugging her. She couldn't speak, couldn't form a single thought. She heard her father speak to the small crowd around her, but Riley couldn't understand a word of it. She heard a few of the others speak as well, but it was as if she wasn't there. Physically, yes, but mentally she was wherever he was.

As he briefly told the group what happened, Cory continued to hold Riley's arm. To be honest, he was scared to let go. She had become completely catatonic after he helped her stand up inside the apartment. He didn't know what to say to try to console her. The only thing he knew was that they needed to get to the hospital. After forming a plan with the others, he carefully escorted Riley back to Lucas's jeep. Maya, Josh, Topanga, and Auggie climbed into the rental car. Maya and Topanga were already calling all of Lucas's family and friends.

Riley didn't remember the ride to the hospital. She couldn't recall how she ended up in the emergency room waiting area. She wasn't sure when the rest of her family arrived. She didn't care about any of it. Her mind was on him. He was somewhere in the building fighting for his life. _'Hold on,'_ her brain screamed for him.

Maya had never been more scared in her whole life as she sat beside her best friend in the waiting room. Riley hadn't said a word. Riley didn't even seem to be on the same planet. She had never seen her friend completely shut down like this. She had experienced Riley's silence a few times throughout their friendship, but nothing quite like this. Riley didn't look at anyone. The one time her eyes fell on her, Maya could have sworn that Riley didn't even see her. It was as if she was invisible. Maya reached for Riley's hand when she noticed that Riley's right hand was balled up into a fist, her knuckles completely white. That's when she saw it. A black velvet ring box. Maya brought her other hand up to her mouth, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. The ring. Riley knew. Was that why he went back into the house? Did he forget it? She looked over to where Cory stood talking to the police. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to be at dinner, enjoying one another, sharing crazy stories from their childhood. They were supposed to be laughing. He was supposed to be proposing to her. It was supposed to be the happiest night in their lives. Instead—she looked back to Riley who seemed to be staring holes into the floor—they were waiting on an update about Lucas's condition. They didn't know anything. Not knowing made it worse. She looked at Josh who was seated on the other side of her. Thank God she had him. Thank God Farkle was on the way. As soon as Maya told him everything she knew, he said he'd be on the first flight out—work be damned. Zay wasn't so easy to get in touch with. His family moved back to Texas their junior year of high school, and he joined the military soon after graduation. He was stationed in Hawaii, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to get leave to come home. When Maya was finally able to reach him, she assured him that she would update him as soon as they knew anything.

She watched as Lucas's family arrived in the waiting room. That was the hardest call she had to make. They were already at the restaurant when Lucas's grandfather answered the phone. Pappy Joe initially thought she was calling to let them know that they were running late. No. Their night of celebration ended so abruptly. She looked over at his parents. His mother was sobbing so much that his father had to prop her up. Maya watched as Mrs. Friar's gaze landed on Riley. She screamed at the sight of Riley's bloodied dress. At that point Maya took Riley to the bathroom to try to clean her up as much as she could while Josh left to try to find Riley something to wear in the hospital gift shop. No one had even considered Riley's appearance until Mrs. Friar drew attention to it. Maya mentally smacked herself. She should have noticed.

Riley stood stoically the whole time as Maya scrubbed her hands, her arms, and her legs. When Maya tried to pry the ring box from Riley so she could wash off her right hand, Riley's grip on it tightened even more. "No," she spoke deeply. It was the only word Maya heard from her since everything happened.

"Ok," Maya relented.

* * *

Hours. Hours and they hadn't heard an update about Lucas's condition. Maya was grateful when she saw Farkle walk into the waiting room. She was exhausted. As soon as he walked in, he went over to Riley and embraced her. She said nothing, but returned the hug. He moved to sit on the other side of her. Maya felt that with Farkle's arrival, she would be able to breathe a little. Auggie was asleep in one corner of the waiting room, while Topanga had gone to get some coffee for everyone. Cory just stared at his daughter. Lucas's mom was still crying, softer now, into her husband's shoulder. Pappy Joe sat quietly in another corner of the room, deep in thought. Maya still held Riley's hand while Farkle had his arm around Riley's shoulder. Riley didn't move.

Except for Riley, all eyes moved to the door when they heard it open. When they saw it was a doctor, they collectively held their breaths.

Dr. Trace looked around the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Friar?"

Maya watched Lucas's parents slowly stand up. "We are Lucas's parents," his dad answered.

"But we are all family," Cory added.

Lucas's dad nodded in agreement.

"Ok." The doctor took a deep breath. "Lucas had multiple gun shot wounds. Two to the back of his head and one to his chest. One of the shots to his head just grazed the side of his temple. It created a small laceration that we were able to stitch up. There was one bullet that got lodged in the back of his skull that we were able to remove. The last bullet punctured his right lung. We were able to repair it without much complication." He took a deep breath. He knew this next bit of news would be difficult to deliver. "In order to retrieve the bullet that got lodged in his skull, we had to medically induce a coma."

"A coma?" His mother started to cry a little harder.

The doctor nodded. "The bullet had already cause stress to the brain, so in order to prevent more stress or swelling, we had to slow down his neurological activity. The only way we could safely do that was to induce a coma."

Cory looked at his daughter who hadn't reacted to a word that was being said. He wasn't sure Riley had heard anything that was being discussed. He turned back to Dr. Trace. "Since it was medically induced, you can bring him out at any time, right? When do you plan to take him out of it?"

"It's up to Lucas, really," the doctor answered. "Sometimes it's only for a few weeks. Sometimes it can be longer than that."

"But he's going to be alright, isn't he," Josh asked. "You'll be able to pull him out of the coma whenever he fully heals?"

Dr. Trace sighed. "There's always a risk to putting a patient into a coma, but we didn't see another option. We were going to lose him if we didn't." He looked around the room. "I wish I could give you all more concrete answers, but it's up to him now. We can try to keep him as comfortable as possible."

"Can we see him," Farkle asked.

"I'm afraid for right now it's just immediate family," he replied.

"What about Riley," Maya asked him as she looked down at the brunette still seated and eerily calm. "She is his family." She looked around the room. "They were—are—are going to get married once he gets better. They've been together for over half of our lives. She needs to see him."

"Very well," the doctor acquiesced.

* * *

Maya escorted Riley to Lucas's room. They all agreed that Lucas's parents should see him first. Riley still seemed completely out of it. Maya had never seen anything like it. She was hopeful that maybe she would come back to reality once she had a chance to see him. When they got to the door, she reluctantly let go of Riley's arm. Maya held her breath as she pulled back from Riley. A part of her expected her best friend to just crumple to the floor. When she didn't, Maya released the breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "I'll be right out here, ok?"

Riley nodded slowly as she tried to comprehend what Maya was saying to her. She slowly walked into the room. The fog that she had been in ever since the ambulance left her apartment dissipated when she saw Lucas lying on the hospital bed. He was attached to several monitors and other machines that Riley had never seen before. She slowly walked toward him, the sound of her heels clicking on the tile floor. She slowly sat next to the bed, her eyes focused on his face.

She sat there for a long time, not saying a word. Slowly, she reached out a hand to rest on top of his left hand. She sniffed once—twice—three times before she spoke. "Hey." She thought about it for a moment. That was always their thing. 'Hey.' 'Hi.' 'Hey.' It became so much more than a greeting between them. It was their way of telling one another that they loved each other. It was their thing—had been their thing for almost as long as they had known one another. Tears began to form in her eyes when he didn't return her greeting.

"So," she began before she cleared her throat, "You left something at—at the apartment, right?" For the first time since she held it, she unclenched her grip on the black box. "Was this what you forgot?" She looked from the box back up to him. "I should have known something was going on. You never forget your wallet." She looked back at the box. "I…uh…haven't taken it out yet because it didn't seem right without you." She slowly pulled the ring out. "It's gorgeous." She looked back over at him. "Umm…I know I'm probably not doing this right, but…" she gave him a small smile, "Lucas Friar, you are everything to me. You have been since the moment I laid eyes on you. Do you remember? You were sitting on the subway, reading a book. Maya told me to look at you and when I did, it hit me like a ton of bricks. There was something that just connected us immediately." She paused for a moment as she wiped her eyes. "You smiled back at me and somehow I knew at that moment that one day—one day…we would be together." She chuckled softly at the memory. "It's a scary thought for a twelve year old, but I just knew. And dad knew too for some reason…but he seems to know everything." She took a deep breath. "I don't have anything to give you right now, but I will. Dad told me that you were going to propose tonight." She stopped speaking for a moment as she tried to find the right words to say. She knew she couldn't be in there for much longer, but she was determined to tell him how she felt. "I'm—I'm not sure if you can hear me or not, but if you were going to propose…yes." A few tears trickled down her face. "A thousand times yes." She took his free hand and slowly lifted it. She placed the ring between his index and thumb and slid the ring onto her left hand. "I'm never taking this off," she vowed as she gently held his hand in between both of her hands. She lightly kissed it as she looked up at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. "No matter what. It's you and me. I just need you to know that I want to marry you. I will marry you. Lucas," she tried to gain control of her emotions, but couldn't help it as a sob finally escaped her throat, "I love you so much. Please wake up. I can't do this without you. I can't face the world without you in it." Her vision became blurry as tears continued to fill her eyes. "Please. Just wake up." She waited for what felt like an eternity for him to wake up, to flinch, to give her a sign that he heard her and that he would come back to her. When he didn't open his eyes, Riley closed hers in defeat. She dropped her head to rest on the bed, tears flowing freely from her closed eyes.


	8. Chapter Seven

_**A/N: This is the first chapter I wrote when I decided to make this a trilogy. I didn't make many changes to it, as I'm fighting off some sort of illness (so my brain is not able to concentrate very well right now), and do think it's a pretty solid chapter. There are two songs that inspired the title and plot to this story. One of those songs is in this chapter. It's called "Little House" and is sung by Amanda Seyfried (It's on the "Dear John" soundtrack). I'm HOPING to use the other song later in the story.**_

 _ **I also just want to thank you guys for reading this and giving me the feedback you have. I read every word you guys write to me and take every word to heart. So, thank you. Also, I've started a series of one shots called "Girl Meets Music". It's all Rucas and it's all song fics.**_

* * *

Chapter Seven

The ride home was a complete blur, as was most of the last 72 hours. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Riley knew that she was still in some kind of shock over everything that had happened. Besides those few lucid moments with Lucas, she just couldn't comprehend anything that was going on around her. She knew that her mom was going to stay at the hospital with Lucas's parents while she went home to rest. Before leaving, she made her mother promise to call the moment anything changed or if there was any news. Riley wouldn't leave any other way. She initially didn't want to leave even then, but Maya and her dad were finally able to talk her into it. She needed sleep. She needed rest.

As she walked into the apartment, Riley fell into a complete daze. Their home, full of so many happy memories of the last few years, full of such hope, was now destroyed in one moment. Her eyes instantly ticked over to where she found him, gasping for breath, trying to hold on to life, hold on to her. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the now clean floor.

Maya noticed Riley stiffen. Not wanting to draw too much attention to it with the others around, she put an arm around her. "Go get a shower and lay down. We're going to be in here, ok?"

Riley looked around at her family. Her dad and Josh leaned on opposites sides of the kitchen counter, her brother had moved to sit on the couch. They all gave her the same look. They were scared. Scared she would break, that she would completely fall apart. Riley numbly looked up at her best friend, her sister. She needed a break from everyone—even Maya. "O-ok," she mumbled before she turned to walk to her bedroom-their bedroom.

As she gathered a change of clothes, she heard her family talking in the living room. Curious, she cracked open the door slightly.

"Let's just wait to see what the doctor says. There's a chance he could wake up soon," she heard Josh say.

"If it's going to be awhile, she needs to come home," Maya told him. "She can't stay here by herself. You know her. She'll live at the hospital. She has his family here, sure, but they don't know her like we do."

"I agree with Maya," Riley heard her father say. "She already got the position at the school in New York. Maybe normalcy is what she needs."

"How bad do you think it is dad," Auggie asked.

Cory sighed and shook his head. "It's bad, bubba." His eyes ticked over to Maya. "The last time I spoke with his main doctor, he told me that they don't know if he'll ever wake up."

Riley closed the door and immediately walked over to her stereo. She didn't want to hear any of that right now. She just wanted to escape. She wanted to be back in a world where Lucas was here—safe—with her. She turned the volume up on her stereo as music began to play.

 _I love this place  
But it's haunted without you_

She took a deep breath as she walked into their bathroom. She turned the water on in the bathtub before she turned back to look at herself in the mirror. She stared at her reflection for a long moment, for the first time since before her life got completely turned upside down. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear before she grabbed one of her makeup remover wipes from her top drawer. She began to wipe off the three day old eyeliner and mascara that was smeared all around her eyes. Once done, she looked at herself for a long moment. She could barely recognized the girl in the mirror. She looked hollow-lost. "Who are you," she whispered.

 _My tired heart  
Is beating so slow_

The water stung her as she stepped under the showerhead. She closed her eyes as she listened to the music. She had to drown everything out. She had to focus. A flash of Lucas lying on the living room floor flashed in front of her eyes. Riley gasped as her eyes flew open. She looked around herself as she began to realize that he wasn't right in front of her. _'No,'_ she began to realize, he wasn't here. He wasn't in the next room waiting for her so they could go to campus together. He wasn't in the kitchen cooking breakfast, like he did every Sunday morning. He wasn't there. Riley struggled to breathe as the events of the last three days started to crash around her. She slowly crouched down to the bottom of the shower. She brought her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. It felt as if her heart was slamming into her chest. She knew she was beginning to have a panic attack. She slowly bowed her head down as she tried to concentrate on stabilizing her breathing.

 _Our hearts sing less than  
We wanted, we wanted_

Riley managed to pull herself up and out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around herself before she stumbled back into their bedroom. She looked around the bedroom for a few moments. That was when she noticed the cup of water by his side of the bed. Then she recognized the book he was reading placed neatly beside the water. She took a deep, shaky breath. She knew her walls were starting to crumble.

 _Our hearts sing 'cause  
We do not know, we do not know_

Riley walked over to their closet. As soon as she opened the door, she saw all of his clothes neatly hung up on his side. She ran her hand along his button down shirts. She stopped when she saw her favorite one: a deep purple one that somehow brought out the green in his eyes even more. He always looked amazing in anything that he wore, but that shirt-that shirt looked like it was made just for him. She reached up and slid the shirt off of the hanger. She brought the shirt to her nose as she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent.

 _To light the night, to help us grow_  
 _To help us grow_

She slid her arms in the shirt and buttoned it up. She walked aimlessly around the room as she took in everything around her. Her eyes landed on a picture of them from the day they moved in together-the day Riley moved to Texas. They had just unloaded the last box from the moving truck and the mover took a picture of Riley on Lucas's back. She told Lucas at the time that she was the last piece. Tears formed in Riley's eyes as she remembered that right after the picture was taken and she jumped down from his back, he turned to her, held her face in his hands and told her she wasn't the last piece-she was the first piece-the only piece that mattered. Riley sat the picture down and touched her cheek as she could practically feel his hands on her face. A few tears slowly trickled down her face.

 _It is not said, I always know_

She moved to sit on the end of the bed as she continued to look at various items around the room. She began to notice the small things, like his dirty scrubs, which laid on top of his clothes hamper. _'His scrubs.'_ Riley blinked several times as the tears began to slide down her face a little more rapidly. He was a year away from his dream. He wanted to be a vet, to help animals. How noble was that? It was one thing that always drew her to him. He cared about everything, everyone around him. He had the biggest heart of anyone she had ever met.

 _You can catch me_  
 _Don't you run, don't you run_

She took a deep breath as every defensive wall she had built up over the last few days came crashing down. Everything flashed back to her at the same time. He wasn't here. He wasn't in the next room, waiting for her. He was in the hospital twenty minutes away from her fighting for his life. Fighting for their future.

 _If you live another day  
In this happy little house_

It wasn't fair. They had their whole lives ahead of them-together. And now she didn't know if he would even make it. He could die at any moment. Her partner, her love, her soul mate. The complete other half of her was dying and for what? Because he startled someone who invaded _their_ home? The only reason he went back in was because...because...she looked down at the ring on her finger. Her. He wanted to be with her forever, to show that to her, and both of their families and it might cost him his in entire life-their entire future. Riley slid under the covers of their bed, careful to stay on her side. She looked at the empty space next to her as she began to sob.

 _The fire's here to stay_

She slowly reached her hand out to the empty space next to her. As she gently touched the space where Lucas used to sleep, she couldn't help but think that all she wanted was a do-over. Take back the last three days. Go back to when they were all in the car. Stop him from going back inside. Just freeze time. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, had always loved him. She wanted to hold him, kiss him, never let him go. He was everything to her. Riley turned her head into her pillow as she sobbed. She realized that there was a very real chance that she might not ever get the chance to do any of those things ever again.

 _To light the night, to help us grow_  
 _To help us grow_

It was supposed to be the happiest night of their lives. She had graduated school, and he was going to ask her to marry him in front of everyone they loved. It was supposed to be a magical evening filled with laughter and love. Their storybook romance was finally ready for the happily ever after part. Hadn't they been through enough to be with one another? Riley moved her head back to lie on the pillow as she just stared at the empty space next to her. She would definitely remember that night for the rest of her life, but not for the reason that Lucas had intended.

 _It is not said, I always know_

She'll never forget seeing his body laying on the floor as he gasped for breath. She'll never forget holding his hand and seeing him look straight through her. She never felt so helpless in her life. She wanted him to come back to her. She wanted to take all of his pain away. She wanted to take them both as far away from this reality as they could get. This wasn't supposed to happen to them.

 _Please don't make a fuss, it won't go away_  
 _The wonder of it all_

Riley let it all out as she began to sob. Her fear, her sadness, her anger. Everything. She missed him so much. She wasn't sure how long she could hang on without him. He was everything to her. She couldn't remember her world before him, and she couldn't imagine a world where he didn't exist. She shook her head as she dismissed that thought. No. She wouldn't give up. She couldn't. He wouldn't give up on her. She would never give up on him. She'd wait a thousand years if she had to.

 _The wonder that I made  
I am here to stay  
_

Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to fight the sleep that was slowly overcoming her. Her body finally decided to shut down after three days without a moment of rest. She was determined to fight for them. She knew Lucas was fighting with everything he had in him, and she would too. She wasn't going to give up, or give in. Even though hope seemed bleak, she would continue to believe in him, in them. Surely there was a bigger plan ahead for them. As she began to drift off to sleep, she thought of the first day she met him, when she fell onto his lap. She'll never forget the way he smiled at her. It was the same smile he gave to her before he went back into the apartment that night.

 _I am here to stay  
Stay _


	9. Chapter Eight

_**A/N: Short chapter, but I will be updating again in a few days. Sorry about the semi-long break. It was my birthday, then Thanksgiving, then various traveling, all the while I got this wicked cold that I'm just now starting to get over.**_

* * *

Chapter Eight

She had been broken. When she awoke twelve hours later, she immediately looked next to her. When she realized Lucas wasn't beside her, it felt everything happened all over again. Fresh tears formed in her eyes as she began to bawl. She was in hell. What did they do to deserve this? What wrongs had she committed for which her punishment was to try experience life without her heart? None of this was fair. They were just starting their lives together.

Riley slowly opened her eyes. She looked down at her ring finger. Everything was finally coming together, so naturally everything had to fall apart. She slid her hand underneath her pillow. She closed her eyes once more as her tears clouded her vision.

She heard a light knock on her door. Riley didn't move. She hoped that whoever it was would just go away and leave her to deal with her grief. She wanted to be able to break, but she felt like that wasn't possible around the others. She had to be strong because they were all so afraid that she would break. Riley heard her bedroom door open. She still refused to acknowledge her visitor. This was _her_ time to mourn. Why couldn't-whoever it was-understand that? When she felt the end of the bed sink slightly, she knew her visitor would not be scared off so easily.

"Riley," Maya said softly.

Riley said nothing, but opened her eyes as more tears trickled onto her pillow.

"We need to talk," Maya persisted.

Riley still said nothing, didn't even acknowledge Maya's presence in the room. She didn't want to talk. She wanted him back. That's all she wanted. She would give anything just to hear his voice in that moment.

"You know what the doctors said," Maya stared at Riley's back. "It can take months, Riley. And we aren't going to leave you here for months while you're like this."

"I'm not leaving him." Her voice was hoarse as her voice was barely above a whisper.

"And we aren't leaving you," she retorted. "Which means we will all lose our jobs in the process."

"Don't be ridiculous," Riley sniffed. She wiped her eyes as she rolled over to finally face her best friend. "Lucas's family is here."

"Yes, but we aren't about to let you go through _this_ without _us_."

Riley shook her head as she began to suspect where Maya was headed with this conversation. "Maya, I can't leave him. I won't. It's only been four days. I-I can't."

Maya reached for her best friend's hand. She wished nothing more than to take away all the pain that her best friend was feeling. "We aren't saying right now. We've talked and we think that if he's not better after a few weeks that you should—"

"Should what," Riley felt her voice boom as the realization of Maya's request started to hit her, "Move on? Go back to New York? No. I'm not doing it." She rolled back over so her back was to her friend.

Maya's eyes began to water. As much as she hated everything that was going on, the thought of leaving Riley in Texas killed her. She wasn't going to leave her best friend. "Riley, what would Lucas want you to do? Would he want you here, by yourself, at the hospital every day waiting around?"

"So what should I do? Forget about him?"

"No. Lucas would want you to come back home, as planned. He would want you to be around your friends and family." She reached over to gently rub her back. "We can get through this Riley."

"You're acting like he's already dead, Maya. He isn't." _'He isn't,'_ she mentally repeated to herself. "I-I want to be th-there when he wakes up."

"And you can be. We've already talked to the doctors. They said that as soon as he starts to show signs of waking up, they'd call you. They said it could take a few days for the patient to fully gain consciousness again, so you'll be able to be here when he wakes up."

"I don't want to leave him. I don't want him to think that I've given up so easily. Maya, he never gave up on me. I can't give up on him."

"And I'm not saying you have to. You need to be with family right now. I know Lucas's family is here, but your parents, Auggie, Josh, Farkle, me…we will all be worried sick about you if you aren't with us. _We_ need you."

"He needs me too."

"He will need you when he wakes up. And you will be right there when he does, trust me. Just think about it, ok? You don't have to make a decision right now," she stood up and went to the door. Before exiting, she turned to face Riley once more. "Just think about what Lucas would want. Would he want you here alone or would he want you with your family? The Lucas I know would want you to be with your family and friends. He would want you to start your career. He never wanted you to put your life on hold for him. He's in good hands here. Just…think about it, Riley…for me. I can't," Maya sniffed as tears formed in her eyes, "You aren't alone. We are all trying to figure out what to do."

Riley closed her eyes. Once she heard the door shut, she opened them once more. She slid her hand out from under the pillow and looked at the ring on her finger. For the first time, she actually looked at it. It was a platinum gold princess cut diamond with smaller diamonds framing it. It was exactly what she always wanted. She had only told one person what kind of ring she wanted. _'Mom,'_ she thought. Her mother had to have told him. Riley had thought about what sort of ring she wanted for years—what girl didn't? She didn't talk to anyone about it, because she didn't want word to get back to Lucas. She always wanted him to ask her because he wanted to, because the time was right. While she was home on winter break during her freshman year of college, her mother caught her looking at engagement rings online. It turned into one of the best conversations they had ever had.

She took a deep breath. Lucas. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't see herself leaving him. It was taking everything in her not to go to the hospital at that very moment. At the same time, she couldn't stand the thought of her family going back to New York and leaving her there alone. Alone. She scanned her bedroom. She knew she couldn't be alone.

Someone had come into their home. Riley was still out of it when she heard the police speak with her father about it, and she was still too numb to process it all at the time, but she remembered the gist of what they believe happened. Someone was trying to burglarize them. Lucas came in and accidentally startled them. The person shot him in the chest, turned to run, saw that Lucas was still alive and fired twice at his head. Riley curled up into the fetal position. No. She couldn't stay there when her family left to go back to New York. She couldn't be alone, not after this. She wasn't sure if she should go back to New York either. She didn't want to leave him. He would never leave her. Why was she even thinking about it? She closed her eyes. She just wanted to sleep. She wanted to sleep until he woke up. She didn't want to live in a world where he didn't exist.


	10. Chapter Nine

_**A/N: I'm still here! I've just been super busy with the holidays coming up and getting over that cold. I'm going to try to get back on a regular schedule with this story. I've been having a rough time with it, because I really want to keep it around the same length as the other two installments, but it's already almost as long as "Stay" as it is and this story has at least five chapters to go. I'm determined to keep this one fairly concise though and not have it be as long as "Pas de Deux" so the timeline will start to pick up.**_

 _ **Thank you all for being so kind and patient with me. This story isn't turning out to be quite what I had hoped it would be, but I do appreciate all of the love for it.**_

* * *

Chapter Nine

She took a deep breath as she walked along the now too familiar hallway. Four weeks. It had been the four longest weeks of her life. Her family had taken turns staying with her while the rest went back to the city. With every step, she felt her heart sink further and further into her stomach. She saw the toll the trip was beginning to take on her family. Her mother stayed while the others went home. After almost two weeks, her father came. That was when it hit Riley that her parents hadn't seen each other in weeks, a trend that would continue until she made the hardest decision she would ever have to make. She knew Lucas wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want everyone's lives upheaved because of him. He wouldn't want Riley's parents to spend weeks on end apart. He wouldn't want Riley to be by herself either. Yes, his family was in town, but it just wasn't the same. Riley needed her family's support, but she could tell that them constantly flying out to be with her wasn't the best idea or anything that could actually continue for the foreseeable future. So, here she was, walking toward him, to tell him that she would see him soon.

She opened the door; her eyes immediately fell on his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. If he only knew the horror that everyone he loved had gone through the last month. With every passing day, Riley felt the doctor's hope fade slightly, but he never let as much to her. As she pulled up a chair to Lucas's bedside, Riley realized that her hope hadn't diminished at all. She knew that if there was a way for him to come back to her, that he would. He always had. He wouldn't leave now, not when she needed him the most.

"Hey," she greeted. Tears formed in her eyes. She reached for his hand. For a moment, she just held it as looked at their intertwined hands. Where would they be if this hadn't happened? They'd probably have a date set for the wedding. They would be discussing the menu, the location, who to invite—Riley placed her other hand on top of Lucas's hand. No, this was the hand that fate seemed to deal them. And now Riley had to do the hardest thing she ever had to do.

"So, I think you would be proud of me," she began, "You know, everyone has been telling me for weeks to think about what you would want me to do—if you would want me to stay and be there for you or if you'd want me to go to New York and be with my family…start my career...stick with the plan that we came up with. A-And I've been struggling with that, because what I want to do and what I need to do aren't the same thing." She sniffed as she paused to collect her thoughts and fight off the sob that threatened to escape.

"Uh," she cleared her throat, "I've been selfish. My family isn't about to leave me alone here. And as comforting as it's been to have them here, I realized that I've been so selfish. They're putting their lives on hold for me, as I have put everything on hold for you." Tears streamed down her face as Riley looked up at the only man she had ever loved. "And I don't think that's what you would want. You would want me to do what we planned—go back to New York, start my career, and start trying to figure out where we could live once you graduated." She stopped again.

Riley inhaled as she tried to control her emotions as much as she could. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes before placing her hand on top of his once more. _Their dreams_. Were they still attainable? Would they somehow find some normalcy again? She glanced up at his face once more. That was all it took as the floodgates opened. "Please wake up," she begged. "I'll never ask for anything from you again. I'll-I'll go wherever you want to go, do anything you want to do. I'll listen to country music every time we are in the car if you j-just come back. Please Lucas," she pleaded. She looked down as she wept. She didn't _want_ to do this, which was clear from the start. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure if she _could_. She didn't want him to be alone. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She was assured repeatedly by Pappy Joe that he would be there every day to keep Lucas company.

Once Riley felt herself calm down a little, she looked back at him. "Um…Maya told me what she was going to have." Riley's eyes drifted over to the door. "She said she wants to talk to you too, so I'm sure you'll hear it from her, but—" she looked back to him, "that baby is going to need Uncle Lucas." She looked at their intertwined hands. Her ring glistened under the light of the room. "I'm going to need you too. You see…there's this boy…and he kind of stole my heart. I never—I never had a say in the matter. One look from you and that was all it took. And I want to be able to tell Maya's baby that. I want her child to grow up knowing that love is worth every risk, every heartache, every obstacle that comes in its path. I want her child to hear our story and be amazed by it and dream that it could happen to them one day. I want—I want that story to have a happy ending. I want her child to believe that fairytales are real." She cleared her throat once more. "So, I need you to come back. So that we can have our fairytale." She clenched her jaw, anger shooting up from her heart to her head. "You promised me, Lucas. You promised me that we would have a happy ending. You promised that you wouldn't leave. This may sound selfish, but I refuse to let you go…not now."

As quickly as her anger appeared, it disappeared even quicker. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just—I know it's time for me to go, I just can't seem to make myself leave." She sat in silence for a few minutes before she slowly stood up. She took a few shaky steps toward the head of the bed. She leaned down and kissed his lips softly. "I love you," she whispered in his ear. "I'll wait forever if I have to." She kissed his cheek quickly before she turned and walked toward the door. She turned to face him one last time. "Goodbye," she whispered through her tears.

As soon as she opened the door, she was engulfed in a hug by her best friend. They stood there for a long time, just hugging one another as Riley sobbed. When she started to calm down, she looked back at the door. "I told him you wanted to talk to him."

Maya gave her a small smile. "I do. I won't be long."

Riley nodded. "I'm going to go make sure they have all of the right information so I know the second anything changes with him."

"Ok." Maya watched her best friend walk back down the long hallway to the nurse's station. She took a deep breath as she opened the hospital room door. She said nothing until she sat in the chair next to Lucas's bed.

"Hey, Huckleberry," she greeted. She looked around the room. There were a lot of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals in the room. "Wow," she said as she looked at all of them, "There are a lot of people who care about you." Her eyes fell to him. "But I knew that already." She felt movement in her stomach. She smiled. "Josh and I found out what we were having." She rubbed her stomach. "It's a boy. We've been kicking around some names, and I haven't even told Riley this yet, but we're pretty set on naming him Alan Lucas Matthews. Do you like it?" She paused. "I can just see it now. When you wake up, you're going to find out and get super cocky about it." She laughed for a brief moment before her expression became serious. "You know, I'll even let you get away with it if you wake up." She leaned forward. "Look, I need for you to. For her. For all of us. There's this big Lucas sized hole in all of our hearts and the only way that's going to get any better is if you come back to us." She moved to stand up. "I promise that I'm going to take good care of her. She's going to be in good hands with all of us around. I know that's what you would want." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Just come back to us—to her. She needs you. We all do."

Maya met back up with Riley half way down the hallway. "Are you ready?"

Riley said nothing, but nodded.

Maya placed an arm around her as they began to walk toward the elevator. "Let's go home," she told her best friend.

* * *

Riley was so preoccupied with making sure all of her things were back at her parents' place that she didn't even allow herself to think about Lucas until that night. Two thousand miles. She was two thousand miles away from him. No, she corrected, she was a million miles away from him. She looked around her room. Her mom had used her desk as an office space for the last few years, but other than that, her room was still her room. She walked over to her dresser where a bunch of old pictures still lined around her mirror. Most were of Maya and her. Her eyes landed on one she had nearly forgot about. It was the four of them: Maya, Farkle, Lucas, and Riley. The picture was taken at Halloween when they were in the 7th grade. She couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of her smacking Lucas on the butt with her glove when they played softball in gym class that day. She didn't even realize that she had actually done it until he turned to look at her. Those days seemed like another lifetime ago. She walked over to her bay window and sat down. She could sit and cry for days about everything that had happened, but she already did that back in Texas. She could get angry. She could crawl inside herself and shut everyone out. But she wasn't going to do that. Not because she didn't want to. Oh, it would be so easy to cry for the next several weeks, but she wasn't going to. She promised him that she would do what he wanted. He would want her to live her life as normally as possible. And that's what she was going to do. It was going to be tough, and she knew she had some hard days ahead of her, but she also knew that he was somehow with her now. She looked down at her ring. Yes, he was most certainly with her now.


	11. Chapter Ten

_**A/N: I just wanted to thank all of you for your continued support of this and all of my stories. I've said this before, but it truly does inspire me.**_

* * *

Chapter Ten

She threw herself into her work. That was all she could really do in order to try to survive. She looked at the files of the more troubled students at John Quincy Adams Middle School. She scheduled some appointments with those students for the first few weeks of school. She even spent a week trying to set up her office just the way she wanted it. Maya went with her to the school on those days, because she knew that as much as Riley seemed to be simply running on auto-pilot, she might completely fall apart as she wandered around the same halls that created so many memories for all of them. To her surprise, Riley didn't even mention it. She seemed—fine.

But, she wasn't. As soon as Riley was by herself in her bedroom at her parents place after that first day, she cried. She wasn't sure how she was going to work at the same place that held so many memories of them. It didn't help that there was no change in Lucas's condition those few months before school started. Riley could feel the others' faith start to dissipate, but her's stood strong. She just knew that he would somehow come back to her. Their story couldn't end like that—not after everything. They were made for one another, and while she still had oxygen in her lungs, she would believe that she would see him, hold him, talk to him again.

Before she knew it, school had begun. Somehow Riley was able to set aside her own troubles and was able to focus on her job. She wanted to help kids navigate their way through some of the most turbulent years of their life. She quickly realized that her adolescence was different than most of the kids she saw. She knew that she could always find someone to confide in, but she realized that a lot of her kids didn't have that. Some came from broken homes, some were labeled as social outcasts, and some just felt like no one could possibly understand them. Riley discovered quickly that most of them simply wanted someone to talk to. And that's what Riley did. She listened. She was fully engaged and interested in what they had to tell her.

It helped that her father and her best friend were there. She began to realize that, while it was the toughest thing she had ever done, being home was definitely the best decision she could have made. She knew that if she had stayed, she would've drowned in her own sorrow. And Lucas wouldn't have wanted that. He would have wanted her to do exactly what she was doing: making the world a little better by helping one person at a time.

Besides work, she didn't go out. She didn't socialize with anyone other than Farkle, Maya, and her family. She somehow felt that if she went out, if she had fun without him, that it would somehow mean that she was giving up on him. She was fine spending Saturday nights at home alone, working on paperwork, her phone right by her side in case there was an update on Lucas's condition. She spoke with Pappy Joe every Sunday to get a full update on Lucas. His responses were always the same, but Riley still had to hear every word. She knew he wasn't improving. She could tell that the doctors were beginning to lose faith. Riley stayed strong.

* * *

"How did you manage to drag me here," Riley complained as she stood with Maya and Josh in the John Quincy Adams Middle School gym. They were surrounded by middle schoolers dressed in formal wear. She had known about the dance for a while, and had informed the principal that she couldn't chaperone because of a prior commitment. Truth be told, she didn't want to be there. She knew that the only thing she would think about would be him. She had done a very good job of keeping that part of her world away from her job and her kids. She didn't want any of them to see her upset. Somehow, someway, Maya had convinced her to go. Riley instantly regretted it the moment she walked into the gym.

"They needed more chaperones," Maya answered as she subconsciously rubbed her swollen abdomen. "Besides, there's only so much I can do," she looked down at herself. "I feel like I can barely stand up these days."

Riley glanced at all of the paper mache and balloons. "Semi-Formal." Memories rushed back to Riley. 8th grade semi-formal. Lucas and Charlie. Sheppard. Meeting her Uncle Jack. She was so scared that night. She knew exactly how she felt about Lucas. That was the problem. The only people she knew who had those intense feelings for someone else at that age were her parents, and they had known one another their whole lives. She had known Lucas for only a year at that point. She knew she loved him. She had known it for a while. It was the thought of ruining everything between them that made her realize it. The 8th grade semi formal was the night she decided to pull back from him. He wasn't a brother to her—he was so much more. She knew she'd rather have him in her life as a friend than to risk losing him completely.

Riley snapped out of her reverie when she noticed her father walking toward them. His face looked grave. "Dad? What's wrong?"

When Cory reached Josh and the girls, he sighed dramatically as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well, the DJ cancelled."

"DJ?"

"Yeah," he told his daughter as he looked around. The gym was beginning to fill up with students. Students who were about to be extremely disappointed by the fact that their first dance wasn't going to have music. He pursed his lips as he tried to come up with some solution as to not disappoint the crowd. "We have some CDs, I guess we'll just play them."

"What about Riley," Josh asked as he looked over at his niece. "She can do it."

Riley shook her head. It was all she could do to keep from running out of the gym screaming. There was no way she could actually DJ the dance. "Josh, I haven't done that in two years."

"We have the equipment," Cory told her as his eyes lit up at the prospect. "The DJ got it all set up, but just had to go next door to the sushi place for dinner."

"Food poisoning," Maya asked.

"Oh yeah. I tried to warn him, but he didn't listen."

Maya shook her head. "That place needs to be shut down."

"No kidding." His eyes landed on his eldest child. "So, the equipment is here. What do you say, Riley? For the kids?"

Riley looked between the three of them. "Seriously? You're using children to get me to do this again?"

"Will it work?"

Riley just glared at him.

* * *

She did it. She never thought she would DJ again. It was something that she did to pass the time in school, make a little extra money, but most importantly it allowed her to have an outlet to express herself. She had a passion for it, that was obvious, but she didn't like the person she became after doing it for two years. When she moved to Texas, she stopped doing it completely. It wasn't because of Lucas or because of the demands of school. Riley knew who she wanted to be and what she wanted out of life. She had to admit to herself that she was scared to even try to DJ at a middle school dance. One look around the room at all of the students was all it took. She didn't want them to be disappointed. For many of them, it was their first dance.

 _First dance._

Riley sighed as she took her earrings off. First dances were supposed to be magical. It was one of those nights that everyone will remember for the rest of their lives. Riley remembered her's vividly. "Tick, tock shake your body time," she chuckled as she sat down at the bay window. She glanced around her bedroom as she remembered getting ready for that very first dance. She remembered Maya and herself getting ready, her mother giving her very first makeup tutorial. She remembered being anxious and excited all at once, a huge knot in her stomach as she walked into the gymnasium that night.

Riley closed her eyes as she allowed the nostalgia to wash over her. She remembered the way her stomach jumped up into her throat when she saw him standing around the tables. His back was turned to her, but she knew exactly who he was because he sported that cowboy hat. Every step she took toward him felt like an eternity. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. She wanted to dance with him, and even though she felt like they were friends and he would say 'yes', she was still nervous. She remembered Maya taking her arm and linking it with her own: a sign that let Riley know that Maya was going to be there every step of the way.

Before the girls could reach him, he turned and smiled. Riley suddenly couldn't remember the speech she had rehearsed for about an hour before the dance. The speech about how nice the gym looked, how Mr. Stevens (the math teacher) stood vigilant over the snack table, how great the music was. The plan was after making all of that small talk, she would ask him to dance with her. Panicked, she looked down at Maya. At that moment, Riley couldn't even remember her name let alone what she had rehearsed in front of her mirror.

" _Riley, Maya," he greeted with a tip of his hat to both girls._

" _Cowboy," Maya couldn't help but chuckle as she took in his appearance._

 _Lucas turned his attention to the brunette statue and smiled. "Riley, would you like to dance?"_

 _It was as if his smile melted her. Suddenly, she was no longer nervous. Suddenly, she didn't need to rehearse a speech to talk to him. With one smile in her direction, he made her feel like she could be herself and it was ok. She grinned at him. "Yes," she answered._

Riley glanced out of the window as she remembered that first dance with him. Sure, their arms were as outstretched as they could get and they sort of moved like zombies, but Riley knew she'd never forget how she felt in those three precious minutes.

She wiped her eyes as a few tears made their way down her cheeks. No. She wasn't going to cry tonight because of what was currently going on with Lucas. Tonight she just wanted to relive those magical moments with the cowboy from Texas who taught her more about love than anyone else ever had.


	12. Chapter Eleven

_**A/N: I'm really not happy about this chapter. I've edited and re-written it so many times, I couldn't even begin to tell you how many. I'm still not quite content with it, but it's the best version I've come up with. We are almost at the end.**_

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Maya had to admit that when Cory was right, he was right. As much as Maya knew Riley, she also knew that Riley's father knew just a little bit more about his daughter. He knew that giving Riley the opportunity to express herself once more through music would open her up. Maya noticed that change in Riley in the following weeks. She smiled again. She seemed more like the Riley that was before that horrible night in May.

There was no change in Lucas's condition. As the days ticked on, Maya couldn't help but grow more and more pessimistic about his prognosis. She never let on to Riley though. If Riley had any concerns about it, she didn't tell Maya about them.

As Maya sorted through some of her students' artwork after school one day, a weird feeling suddenly overcame her. She looked down at her swollen stomach. Something wasn't quite right. She stood up from her desk and started to walk toward Riley's office when she felt it. "Oh my God," she looked down at the puddle for a moment before she continued on her walk toward the guidance counselor's office. Her strides started to slow as she began to feel a pain in her stomach. Maya gritted her teeth as she took a deep breath. Once the contraction passed, she walked a little faster toward her best friend. "Riley," she called as she opened the door.

Riley, who was seated at her desk talking with her father, glanced at the doorway. "Maya, what is—"

Tears swam in Maya's eyes as her panic increased with every passing moment. "My water just broke."

* * *

Ten hours. Ten long hours later and Alan Lucas Matthews was welcomed into the world weighing seven pounds, six ounces. Josh, Riley, and Katy were all in the delivery room with Maya. After Maya and Josh held Luke, it was Riley's turn. At first she motioned for Katy to hold him, but Katy told her once she got her hands on him, it would be hours before she would be able to let him go. Riley couldn't help but cry tears of joy as she held him. "We've waited for you to come for a long time," she told the sleeping infant. "I knew you'd arrive whenever you wanted to though," she glanced over at Maya, "You are half Hart after all."

Josh and Maya glanced at one another before they looked back at Riley. "Riley, we know he's your cousin," Josh began, "but we were also sort of hoping you'd be his godmother."

Riley looked up from Luke at Maya and Josh. "Really?"

They both nodded. "Who else could we possibly ask," Maya smiled.

"Do I even need to answer," Riley responded as she looked back down at the bundle in her arms. "Luke is…perfect. I'd absolutely be honored to."

"Are you ok with that," Josh asked her. "Us calling him Luke?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know with Lucas and—"

"Josh," Riley began, "he's going to be so happy and so honored that you named Luke after him. There's no way I wouldn't be ok with that. I just…I just can't wait for Lucas to meet him."

Josh and Maya exchanged glances while Riley continued to be completely enamored by the infant. Five months. It had been five months since the accident and there had been no change in his condition.

* * *

"I'm never putting him down," Riley cooed as she held Luke in her arms.

"You say that every time you're here," Maya chuckled as she watched Riley pace around the living room as she gently rocked her godson.

"And it's true, isn't it? I hold him the entire time."

"It's true," Maya agreed. "Look, the reason I wanted you to come over today is because…well…Josh has to go to this…thing tonight. I was wondering if…"

"You want me to watch Luke," Riley filled in as she sat down on the couch next to her best friend. "Maya, I would be hap—"

"That's not what I was going to ask." Maya waited a moment before she continued. She knew she was going to have a small battle on her hands, but she knew this had to be done. "I actually wanted to see if you wanted to go with him."

Riley frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Maya ran a hand through her hair as she tried to think. "Riley, you've been back for almost five months. The only time you go out is to go to work or to come here. That's not like you. Go out with Josh. Have fun."

"What? Maya, I don't think that I…I don't want to."

"You don't think that you should. Am I right?" Maya let out a long breath as she sat up to move closer to her best friend. "Riley, Lucas would want you—"

"You know what, Maya? I'm tired of hearing that. That guilt trip only works so many times. He's not…" she closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Lucas isn't here. He…he hasn't been here. I don't want to not be ready to go whenever the hospital calls."

"But the hospital hasn't called, Riley," Maya couldn't help but to show her frustration. It was killing her to see her best friend this way. "You can't shut yourself away waiting for a phone call that might not…" her voice trailed off when she realized what she was about to say.

"Might not what," Riley's eyes grew large. "You've given up, haven't you? You know…I see everyone. You guys don't think I see it, but I do. You have all given up on him."

"We haven't given up on him," Maya insisted. "But he wouldn't want you to do this."

"Do what? Spend time with my family and friends?"

"He wouldn't want you to become a complete recluse. That light. That beautiful light that you hold inside of you is starting to dim, Riley. Lucas would hate the thought that he was the cause of it."

Riley didn't speak for a long time, her thoughts and her heart racing. She looked at Luke who seemed completely content in her arms. He was so small, so innocent. He knew nothing about what she was going through, what they all had been going through for months and months. Lucas hadn't met him. The reality suddenly hit Riley that Lucas might not ever meet Luke. Riley swallowed as tears began to slowly fill her eyes. "Maya," she finally spoke, "I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm just stumbling through life right now. I-I love my job. I love being home. I love seeing you guys every day. I just feel…I feel like I'm hollow." She took a deep breath as she willed those unshed tears away. "I haven't cried in months about it. I thought it was just me accepting everything…knowing that I made the right decision by moving back home, but…I-I feel like I'm in this holding pattern. I know that the longer time goes on that…the odds of him…" she swallowed. "I know…it's a long shot now, but Maya, he never gave up on me…on us. And I can't give up on him. My heart won't let me. My head is telling me to accept the fact that he might never…that he might never wake up, but whatever small fragment of the optimistic side of me remains still has hope that one day…he'll come back to me."

"I know. My heart can't let him go either. But enjoying yourself with your friends doesn't mean you've given up or that you've moved on. It means you're honoring him. Look," she gently took Luke out of Riley's arms, "Just go out with Josh. John is DJing at some club in lower Manhattan. Go with him. You haven't even seen John or Amanda since you got home."

Riley thought about it. "You're right." She took a deep breath. "I need to see my friends. I need to…try to live."

* * *

Riley forgot how loud clubs got. She forgot how humid they were with everyone crammed in like sardines. A thousand memories hit her at once as she wandered in behind her uncle. It seemed like yesterday that she was there, getting ready to DJ in front of hundreds of people. She shook her head. That was definitely another girl another lifetime ago.

They met up with John before his second set. He was more than a little surprised to see Riley after he heard about what happened with Lucas. He had wanted to see her, but wasn't quite sure how she would react. When Josh told him that she was just taking small steps towards getting her life back on track, he knew it was best to wait for her to be ready to see friends.

As soon as she saw John, she hugged him. She instantly regretted not trying to contact him sooner. She regretted trying to shut out that part of herself. Although Lucas and John had become friends, somehow she felt that if she saw John, it would somehow reflect poorly on her. She wasn't sure why. Looking at him now, she realized what a fool she had been about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry," were the first words that tumbled out of her mouth once she pulled back from the hug.

"I wanted to see you," he told her, "But I know with everything going on that you would do it in your own time."

"It's just…being here," she looked around the noisy club, "It was part of what pulled us apart the first time, and I just felt like it was somehow…in some sort of twisted way…it was going to do that again." She tried to make light of it all. "I'm just as ridiculous as I ever was."

John shook his head. Everything she said made perfect sense to him. He was well aware of their history over the last several years. He couldn't blame her for wanting to shut out those memories. "No, you aren't. I would probably act the same way if it had happened to Amanda and I."

"How is Amanda?"

John's face lit up at the thought of his wife. "She's great! Getting ready to take the bar exam. So she's at home tonight studying."

"Tell her that I want to see her, please?"

"Absolutely." He looked up at Josh and gave him a smirk before he looked back at the woman in front of him. "So, Riley?"

"Yeah?"

A smile played on his lips. "Wanna know how to make everything up to me?"

Riley raised her eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

She swore she'd never do it again, but somehow, someway, she did. She only DJed three songs out of John's set, but it was just like riding a bike. She naturally got back into the groove of things. Mechanically, she was no where near where she used to be, but she had to admit to herself that it gave her a huge adrenaline rush. Her head was still spinning as she made her way back to her uncle. When she saw him, she immediately embraced him. "Thank you for making me do that." She pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know you gave John the idea for it."

"You were amazing, Riles. So…would you consider—"

"No," Riley shook her head. "It was fun. I'm not going to lie, but that's not me anymore." DJing helped Riley to fill a Lucas sized void in her heart when she was going through her undergraduate studies. She had a Lucas sized hole in her heart once more, but although she had fun, it didn't make her feel better or miss him less. If anything, it made her miss him more.

Josh nodded. "I can accept that. I'm just glad you had fun tonight." He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller id. "It's Maya," he told Riley as he answered it. "Hey…you won't believe what John and I got Riley to—what? Yeah, yeah. Calm down. She's right here." He handed the phone to a now bewildered Riley. "She needs to talk to you."

Riley's heart stopped as she put the phone to her ear. She wasn't sure why, but she knew something had happened. "Hello?" She walked toward the club's entrance so she could better hear Maya.

"I've been trying to call and call," Maya's panicked voice rang in Riley's ears.

Riley felt all of the color drain from her face. "What is it, Maya? What happened?"

"Riley…it's Lucas."


	13. Chapter Twelve

_**A/N: Happy New Year, loves.**_

* * *

Chapter Twelve

She took the first flight out. Maya and Cory insisted on going with her. She wasn't going to ask for them to, but she was more than grateful when they told her they would. She could barely comprehend anything that was going on around her let alone handle flying to Texas on her own. She kept replaying the last few hours in her mind. Pappy Joe had called. Riley didn't hear her phone over the crowded club. So he called Maya. The only thing Riley knew as she stepped on the plane was that Lucas had started to display signs of waking up. Pappy Joe said it was too soon to tell if he was actually coming back or if it was some sort of reflex, but Riley knew. She knew in her heart that he found his way back to them. She had no idea in what sort of condition he would be in, but she knew at that sweet moment that she would be able to see him again.

By some miracle she had managed to keep her emotions in check. She didn't cry, didn't panic, didn't crawl inside of herself. She was calm. The entire plane ride to Texas, she was calm. The entire ride to the hospital, she was calm. As they walked in the hospital and to the nurse's station, she was calm.

Once they found out that the doctors were still running their initial examination on him, Cory decided to leave Maya and Riley at the hospital while he went to go check into their hotel rooms and check in with Topanga to let her know that they made it safely.

As the girls made their way to the waiting room, Maya noticed that Riley was shaking. She knew that the reality of the situation had finally, fully hit her best friend. They had all waited six months for a change in Lucas' condition, but none more so than the now trembling brunette. Riley had been so strong. Maya never thought that Riley would actually leave Texas. She never thought that Riley would be able to move on with her life and begin her career in New York. Maya had always been considered 'the strong one' when people compared her with Riley, but she always knew that Riley was the stronger of the two. Riley had this hope, this optimism, this faith that seemed to carry her through every unfortunate incident in her life. She always rose out of these trials with an amazing sense of grace.

Maya frowned when she noticed that no one else was in the waiting room. "I'm going to go find Pappy Joe and see where everyone else is. Are you going to be ok?"

Riley nodded as her body somehow found it's way to one of the chairs. The adrenaline of getting to the hospital allowed her to remain fairly levelheaded, but now that she was back at the hospital-waiting once more, all of the emotions she thought she had been able to control were suddenly threatening to explode from her fragile heart. "Please," she said aloud as she closed her eyes, "Please come back to me."

* * *

' _Riley Matthews paced back and forth between the door and the wall on the opposite side of the room, her mind a million miles away, her heart just down the hallway. Six months. She has waited six months for this moment. Now that it was here, she didn't know how to react. Nervousness was the dominant emotion, even though it seemed to belittle exactly how she felt. She was anxious, restless. She felt every emotion possible, but at the same time, she felt no emotion. She felt numb in a way. Maybe it was because of the stream of emotions that had shifted throughout her entire body for the last six months. She looked around the room. She was all alone. Potentially, the biggest day in her life, and no one was here. Where was Maya? Where was her dad? Someone should be here with her. She couldn't handle the silence, the waiting. She moved to sit down, her anxiousness starting to get the best of her. The light caught something that sparkled in Riley's eyes. She looked down at the diamond that encircled her left ring finger. Six months. Six months was long enough. It was too long. Suddenly, rapidly, the last six months-no, the last thirteen years—came crashing back to her. Every look, every touch, every kiss, every 'I love you, every moment of everything reached Riley's brain in that moment._

 _Thirteen years ago, she fell onto the lap of a boy. She didn't know it then, but that boy would change her whole world. One look into those emerald eyes and she was lost and found at the same time. With him, she learned how to become a real friend to someone, to establish a real, deep connection—to see past the surface. They became the best of friends—then a little more than friends. She knew that they were always a little more than friends, but they both were scared. Typically, only catastrophes arise when you meet "the one" so young in life, her parents being the only exception she knew. Even then, her parents knew each other for most of their lives before they decided to take the leap from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend. Riley didn't want to lose the friendship they had built, but she also knew that they couldn't run from their feelings forever. After much soul searching, she decided she was ready; she was willing to take a chance on something that could be the best thing that ever happened to her. They began to date in high school, a sure sign of a doomed relationship, but no, not them, even if they broke up during their senior year of high school._

 _One moment of doubt in high school almost ended their story before it even really began. He had failed to tell her that he got into a school across the country. Feeling the sting of the first betrayal in their courtship, she ended things with him. Him—the boy who had captured her heart when she was 12 was suddenly the boy who broke her heart at 18. She suddenly doubted everything he had ever told her, showed her. She doubted it all, but he never did. He didn't let go. He told her that he would move on, but he didn't. He waited. He knew they would reconcile. He knew that they were meant to be, statistics be damned. He was right. They slowly became friends again, and Riley realized that she loved him, had always loved him, and couldn't quite function as well in a world without him. Oh, how trivial all of that seemed now._

 _In their last year of undergraduate education, that doubt, that horrible emotion that had the potential to end everything for no reason, crept its way back up to her. She broke up with him because she thought he had cheated on her with a statuesque blonde. A part of her, however small, still hoped (even after she "caught" them) that somehow, some way, they would be reunited. Of course, there were other factors that led to their temporary demise. The space between them, his hectic schedule, and her own insecurities all played a part in their downfall. Again, he didn't give up. His faith in her, in their relationship, and his own desire to better himself motivated him to not let go. He never lost faith in them. There were moments of hesitancy, moments where he thought that it could be over, but even then, he never gave up. It was one thing that Riley loved about him. When he believed in something, no matter what it was, he never gave up on it._

 _He had become the other half of her. Though she had proven to herself that she could definitely survive in a world without Lucas Friar, she also found out that she didn't want to. He made her want to be a better person. He always believed in her, had faith in her. Love is supposed to bring out the best in you, and that's what he had done time and time again. They had both gone through so much together and apart from one another. Riley knew that they were better together. Just as he brought out the best in her, he had told her time and time again that she brought out the best in him._

 _Looking back, those moments prepared her for the more complicated things that life threw at them. Distance, time, trust—all issues that most couples face at one point or another, and they came out of it, relatively unscathed. That hope led them here, to this moment, to this day. She looked down at the ring as it twinkled under the well-lit room. The moment this ring was placed on her finger she knew that she would never doubt him again. He always believed, and now, it was her turn to believe. Six months ago she made that promise. Six months ago she swore that her faith, her hope, her love in him would never waiver. She held her breath as the door opened. When she saw who it was, tears swam in her chocolate eyes.'_

"Daddy?" As soon as she saw her father, it felt like she was five years old again. She was never more grateful for her father than she was at that moment. She felt her chest heave as she struggled to catch her breath. "I think…I'm going…to pass out…unless I hear something soon."

He was at his daughter's side in an instant as he gently rubbed her back, something he did when Riley was younger to try to calm her down. He hadn't done it in easily twenty years, but as he sat with her, it only felt like yesterday. When he noticed that her breathing became a little steadier, he looked around the empty waiting room. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," she said as she focused on slowing her heart rate down. "Maya went to find Pappy Joe to see if anyone knew…" Her words trailed as she looked toward the doorway and noticed one of Lucas's doctors enter the room. She froze. She knew that this was it. Her entire world hinged on what he said in the next few moments. She felt her heart beat pick up speed once more as she slowly stood up.

Cory took a deep breath as he stood next to his daughter. "Dr. Trace. We heard he might be waking up."

The doctor nodded before he smiled at the pair. "He's awake."

"Oh my God," Riley said softly as she suddenly gripped her father's arm to keep her balance. "I think I'm going to faint."

"If you do Miss Matthews, you'll have to wait even longer to see him."

"I can see him," she asked hopefully. It took every ounce of strength for her not to dart out of the room and run down the hallway to where he was at that very moment. She knew no one would be able to stop her. They wouldn't dare.

"Whenever you want to."

Riley suddenly doubted everything she had just heard. Was this all just too good to be true? Was she having another one of those dreams that plagued her ever since the awful night her world got completely flipped upside down? She looked up at her dad for some sort of confirmation that this moment was finally here.

"You go," he smiled. "I'll find Maya and the others."

* * *

As she walked with the doctor down the long hallway to Lucas' room, he told her that Lucas was still pretty out of it, but that it was perfectly normal for someone who had been in a coma. He told her that he would be like that for a few days, and that they still had several tests they needed to run before they could tell them if he was going to have the same cognitive capabilities as before, but he also told Riley that they were optimistic.

When they reached his door, Dr. Trace smiled at her. "When he first woke up, your name was the first word out of his mouth."

Riley looked from the door to the doctor. Part of her still couldn't believe that this was actually happening—that the one thing she wanted in the whole world was finally happening. "Thank you," her voice cracked.

He smiled as he opened the door for her.

Riley held her breath as she managed to walk into his room. His eyes were closed, but the head of the hospital bed had been elevated slightly. She turned to look at Dr. Trace, but he had already closed the door to give them some privacy. She turned back to Lucas as she continued to walk toward him. She froze when she reached the foot of his bed. She was at a complete loss for words as she simply watched him for a moment. She hadn't seen him in five months. She hadn't heard his voice, seen his smile, felt his embrace in six months. Was this nightmare finally over? She took a deep breath. "Hi," she spoke softly.

Lucas slowly stirred. It felt like the voice of an angel had reached his tired ears. He was completely sore from head to toe. It felt like a bus had hit him. He slowly tried to open his exhausted eyes. When he saw Riley standing at the end of the bed, he gave her a crooked smile. "Hi." His voice sounded so foreign to himself. It was hoarse, raw. His throat hurt. His whole body ached. He just wanted to sleep, but _she_ was here. And she never looked more beautiful.

Riley had cried so much in the last six months. So much so that she thought she couldn't possibly have any more tears left inside of her to give. She was wrong. Oh, she was so wrong. At the sound of his voice, the tears in her eyes finally made their great escape. She bit her lip to keep from openly sobbing in front of him. Instead, she darted around the bed to reach him. She leaned down and embraced him, saying nothing as she just held him. This was real. She wasn't having another bittersweet dream. They were here, together-just as they always should have been.

When she pulled him to her, Lucas winced slightly. It hurt to have her hug him like that, but he didn't want to say a word. Because even though he was in physical pain, even in the fog that he found himself in; he could feel her emotional pain. "It's ok," he said softly as he slowly raised his right hand to rub her back.

Riley's cries escalated when she heard him speak again and when she felt his hand on her back. She never wanted to move. She never wanted to pull apart from him. This was the only thing she wanted, could ever want in her whole life.

When she felt him tense slightly, she reluctantly pulled back. She wiped her eyes as she moved to sit on the bed beside him. "I-I'm sorry."

Lucas said nothing as he simply took the sight of her in. Something caught his half opened eyes. Through the fog, he managed to open his eyes a little further as he looked at Riley's hand. "Riley." He gestured to her left ring finger.

Riley looked down. The ring. It had become a part of her over the last six months. It became her lifeline, her only connection to him. It brought her comfort during the darkest moments of her life. "S-S-Sorry," she immediately apologized as she went to take it off.

"No," Lucas told her as he moved his hand to stop her from removing it. He didn't have the strength to tell her that she should never apologize for wearing that ring—that the sight of her wearing it made him the happiest man in the world.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "The…uh…the paramedics gave it to me a-a-after," she stopped to wipe her eyes once more. "I-I-I just…i-it made me feel close…to you."

Lucas gave her a sad smile. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to comfort her. He didn't know all of the details yet, but he knew he had been out for six months. _Six months._ The sheer thought of not seeing her for six months was enough to make Lucas want to kill whoever did all of this. Seeing how emotional Riley was right now was enough for Lucas to attempt to get out of the bed and go find whoever stole six months from them. The logical part of his brain knew that wasn't a good idea. It wouldn't get them their lost time. It wouldn't fix the problem. Also, he knew he probably couldn't even stand at the moment. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"Did they tell you h-how long you've…"

"Yeah," he told her as his eyes started to close. He struggled to open them once more.

"Get some rest," she leaned forward to rub his cheek. "I'm not about to go anywhere."

He smiled as he finally closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him immediately.

Riley was perfectly content to watch him sleep. There was so much she wanted to tell him. She wanted to talk to him about the engagement, her job, and Luke. She wanted to spend the rest of her life making sure that he knew exactly how much he meant to her. She wanted to hang onto him and never let go. Her love. Her life. She knew that there were a lot of tests that needed to be conducted before the doctors would be completely convinced that he was ok, but she already knew. Her Lucas came out of this. He survived. She did too…thanks to their families. She wasn't exactly sure what the future held for them, but she knew at that moment that no matter what happened, they would be able to make it through.

* * *

 _ **A/N: There is an epilogue...**_


	14. Epilogue

_**A/N: Thank you ALL for reading all three of these stories. I appreciate all of your support throughout this whole process. I hope you guys have enjoyed it.**_

* * *

Two years later…

Lucas took a deep breath as he tried to tie the piece of fabric around his neck. His hands shook slightly as he quickly grew frustrated with the task. After another brief moment of fiddling with it, he slid it off his neck and threw it across the room.

"Woah," Josh laughed as he dodged the flying tie. He bent down to pick it up before he looked at Lucas. "You ok man?"

"Y-Yeah," he stammered as he turned to look in the mirror. "I mean, why-why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I don't know," Josh played innocent as he casually strolled over toward one of his best friends, "I know when Maya and I got married I was a nervous wreck."

Lucas shook his head. "I'm not—I'm not nervous. It's just…" he turned to face Riley's uncle, "It's…it's that stupid tie!"

Both guys heard laughter coming from the doorway. They turned to face Cory. "Sorry," Cory quickly apologized as he walked towards them. "Here, let me help," he offered to Lucas as he took the tie from Josh. He tried to hide a smile as the wrapped the tie around Lucas's neck. "So…are you nervous?"

Lucas said nothing at first. It was a completely unsettling feeling for him. He wasn't used to this feeling. He had always been pretty calm when it came to most things, his anger issues aside. He hadn't been nervous at all for this day. He had looked forward to this day for what felt like forever. Now that it was actually here, Lucas felt himself begin to implode. It wasn't because of her. Never. He had known for a long time exactly where he saw himself with her. He knew that the source of his anxiety stemmed from his deep seeded fear that he wouldn't be good enough for her. They both had been through so much over the years, she more so than him. What if after everything, she realized that he wasn't worth spending her life with? He looked down at his teacher, his mentor, his future father-in-law. "Yes," he begrudgingly answered.

Cory nodded as he continued to work on Lucas's tie. "I'd be worried if you weren't."

A squeal interrupted the group as an energetic two year old bounded into the room, an exhausted Farkle trailing behind. "Daddy!" Luke giggled as the brunette toddler ran to his father.

Josh laughed as he picked up his son. "Luke, did you wear out your Uncle Farkle?"

Farkle panted as he tried to catch his breath. "Josh…I…I don't know…how you do…this…every day." He flopped on to the couch and closed his eyes, pure exhaustion overcoming him.

Josh gave Farkle a sympathetic smile. "Just wait until you have your own. Somewhere…somehow you'll find the energy."

"I can't believe…you're having…another one," Farkle coughed as he still had trouble catching his breath. He opened his eyes and glanced at his best friend. He looked pale. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm holding," he answered honestly. Was he that obvious? What if she saw him and mistook his nervousness for cold feet? That would kill him. No, he had to calm down before the ceremony. He wasn't going to worry her about any of this nonsense. Lucas glanced around the room as Cory continued to work on tying his tie. "Thank you again, by the way."

Farkle frowned. "For what?"

"For renting the library for us. It's exactly what she wanted." Though it wasn't at all like how he had planned, as soon as he was well enough, he proposed to Riley. He knew that she deserved the perfect proposal, but after everything they had been through, both of them just wanted to be with each other and start the next chapter of their lives together. After months of recovery, Lucas was finally able to finish school. The day after graduation, he moved to New York to be with her. She had gushed for months about how the library would be the perfect place for them to get married, but they soon found out that cost of renting it out was way outside of their budget. Most of the money they had managed to save when they were in school went toward the down payment on their apartment, so they knew their options for wedding venues were limited. Maya, knowing her best friend better than anyone else, immediately told Farkle about the library and he didn't hesitate in renting the space for his best friends to get married in.

"Yeah. Libraries were always your thing. Maya told me that Riley fell in love with the idea. I knew I had to do something, because it really is the perfect venue for you two. And besides, I had to get you guys a wedding present."

Lucas laughed. "Wedding present, birthday presents, Christmas presents, and anniversary presents for the next fifty years. Seriously though, thank you."

"Two of my best friends are getting married. If I can help to make their day perfect, no thanks is needed."

"There," Cory told his soon to be son-in-law as he took a step back to examine his work on tying the perfect tie. "Perfect."

"Thanks, Mr. Matthews," Lucas told him as he turned to look at himself in the mirror.

"Lucas," Cory smiled, "I think we're past Mr. Matthews now. Call me Cory."

Lucas gave the older man a smile. "Thank you, sir." He looked around at his closest friends. "I'm just glad you're all here." He looked back at Cory. "And you really approve of this?"

Cory smirked. "Do you remember when you first moved to New York and I made you guys go to the library to research whether new technology had made us better as a society?"

Lucas nodded. He remembered that assignment clearly. It was the first time he had connected with anyone in New York. More importantly, it was the first real conversation he had ever had with Riley. He found himself opening up to her in a way that he hadn't with anyone else. That moment changed him.

"That's when I knew that someday would be today."

Lucas frowned. "What?"

"A father just knows these things," Cory smiled. "I've always approved of you Lucas."

"Why?"

"Because I've always seen the way you look at her…when she isn't paying attention…when you think others aren't paying attention. Let me tell you a secret: I was paying attention. I know every look you've given her in my classroom. I know the look you gave her the night she graduated. I know the look you gave her when you graduated school and you both announced your wedding date. And I know the look you gave her when you bought that apartment three blocks from Maya and Josh. There is no one else in the world who would ever cherish Riley as much as I know you will." He placed a hand on his future son-in-law's shoulder. "And that's all a father could wish for his daughter."

Lucas swallowed. He should've known that Cory caught every glance he had thrown in Riley's direction over the years. For some reason, Riley's father seemed to know everything. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"So why are you nervous," Farkle asked him as he walked toward the pair. "You've wanted this for almost as long as I've known you."

"I'm just…worried…that…I…I—"

"Won't live up to expectation," Josh filled in as he juggled a fidgeting Luke in his arms.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah."

"That's ridiculous," Maya said as she walked into the room.

"Geez, can't anyone knock," Josh teased.

Maya ignored her husband as she walked right up to one of her best friends. "The only expectation that girl has is you. That's it. All she wants is you. Just as you are." She reached up and brushed some lint off of his shoulder. "You've both been through hell and back with each other. Don't you realize by now that she doesn't expect you to be Mr. Perfect? She expects you to just be Lucas Friar."

"Thank you, Maya."

"Mommy," Luke squealed as he wiggled out of Josh's arms and ran toward his mom.

"Hey sweetheart," Maya cooed as she picked up her eldest son. She turned to face Lucas. "Soon enough, you'll have one of these running around."

"One step at a time," Lucas chuckled as he looked at Luke. Luke looked exactly like a miniature version of Josh. He was definitely all Matthews, except his personality was exactly like his mother's. Lucas had to admit to himself that he had thought about having kids with Riley. Who would they look like? Whose personality would they have? Whenever the day came that they would have children, Lucas hoped that they would be exactly like their mother in every single way. There needed to be more Rileys in the world.

"Are you sure you should be doing that," Farkle asked as he looked at Maya's swollen stomach.

"It's fine, Farkle," Maya said as she balanced Luke on her hip.

Luke wiggled so he could reach his mother's stomach. "My sister is in there," he said proudly.

"Are you excited to meet her," Josh asked him.

"Yeah," he giggled.

Maya smiled at her husband before she looked over at Lucas. "It's almost time."

* * *

Riley wasn't nervous at all. She wasn't nervous when they arrived at the library. She wasn't nervous after she got dressed and got her hair done. She wasn't nervous when her father told her it was time. She had waited for this day for so long—too long. She knew that this day might not have ever happened. So instead of being nervous, she was thankful. She wanted to enjoy every second of the walk she was getting ready to take toward her future—their future—together. She wanted to enjoy every second of this day—this magical day that was everything she had ever dreamed of and so much more.

She grinned at her father as the doors opened. It was now or never.

As Canon in D began to play by a small five-pieced band—thanks to Josh's connections—Riley's eyes immediately fell on Lucas, who waited for her at the end of the aisle. He looked like he was cut straight from a bridal magazine. He looked perfect. She knew at that moment that this was her fairytale ending. Her smile grew with every step she took toward him, her father by her side.

Lucas held his breath as the doors opened, but once he saw her, his anxiety, his fear of being inadequate, completely disappeared. She looked exactly like an angel. How had he gotten so lucky in his life to be there, in that moment, watching as the greatest person he had ever known, his best friend, his soul mate, walk toward him to commit herself to him for the rest of their lives? She took his breath away. They weren't the same people they were when they met. They weren't the same people they were two years ago. They had both changed so much as life took over, but the one constant, pure thing in his world was still intact and actually shone brighter now than it ever had: their love.

When she reached him, they immediately held hands. Proper or not, instructed to or not, there was no way neither was going to let go of the other. They both had waited for this day for far too long to play by any set of traditional rules. They were Riley and Lucas. They had been through hell and back to be with one another: they didn't want to wait another second for their happily ever after to begin. For them, they were finally home.


End file.
